Follow protocol? Prince HarryAnd Meghan Markle‘s children are now eligible to receive royal titles — but no official decisions have been made about the potential new prince and princess.
In May 2019, the Duke and Duchess Sussex became parents to their son Archie, one year after their wedding in London. Before the little one’s arrival, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that the couple wanted him to lead as “quiet” a life as possible, which included not giving him a title like cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
When the SuitsRoyal commentator: Alum gave birth to the baby. Omid Scobie confirmed that she and Harry had “forgone a courtesy title for their child,” tweeting that the move was “all part of giving him as normal a life as possible.”
Archie was seventh in the line for the British crown when he was conceived, even though he was not called a prince.
The royal family was in turmoil when Harry and his spouse announced that they would be leaving their senior positions in January 2020. This decision led to them officially losing their HRH (His/Her royal Highness) titles as well as any public funding they received for their royal duties.
“Following many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family,” Queen Elizabeth II declared in a statement at the time. “Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved members of the family. I recognize the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life.”
A separate statement from Buckingham Palace added: “The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family. The Duke and Duchess shared their desire to repay Sovereign Grant for the refurbishment Frogmore Cottage. Frogmore Cottage will remain their UK family home. Buckingham Palace is not able to comment on details of security arrangements. There are well established independent processes to determine the need for publicly-funded security.”
The couple eventually moved to California, where they welcomed daughter Lilibet “Lili” Diana in June 2021. She was named after Harry’s grandmother, who died in September 2022 at age 96. Her middle name is a tribute to Princess Diana.
Following the queen’s death, King Charles IIIHarry, Archie and Lili rose to the throne when he ascended to it. Protocols put in place by King George V in 1917 assert that the children and grandchildren of a monarch are automatically able to earn HRH titles — but neither the palace nor the Sussexes immediately revealed whether Archie and Lili would accept their prince and princess titles.
Royal expert Craig PrescottPreviously told Us that the choice was in Charles’ hands. “It’s essentially up to the Monarch who gets royal titles and who doesn’t,” he explained in March 2021. “And it’s open to the monarch to change the rules so that Archie doesn’t become a prince.”
Scroll down to see the complete royal family drama.