Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Lev Radin/Pacific Press/Shutterstock
Prince Archie, Princess Lili. After King Charles IIIHe was officially proclaimed the sovereign, and his children received new titles.
WhilePrince HarryAnd Meghan Markle gave up their official royal positions (and the styling of an His/Her Royal Highness distinction) when they stepped back from their roles of senior royals in 2020, their children — Archie, 3,And Lilibet, 15 months — are now able to be called prince and princess since their grandparent is the reigning monarch.
King George V initially decreed in 1917 that royal titles (like the prince and princess monikers) should be given to any children of the monarch’s sons. However, Prince William and Duchess Kate‘s three children — Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4 — had such titles during Queen Elizabeth II’s rule after she amended the decree to include all children of the Duke of Cambridge. Archie and Lili didn’t qualify for the titles, however, since they were her great-grandchildren and only the future King of England’s family were allowed the exception.
The Suits The military veteran, 37, and the alum 41, both previously spoke out about their children not being entitled to royal titles.
Prince Harry and Meghan with their son Archie Harrison MountbattenWindsor Shutterstock
“They didn’t want him to be a prince or a princess, which would be different from protocol,” Meghan previously claimed of the monarchy during a bombshell CBS interview in March 2021, noting that meant Archie would not be entitled to security protection. “It was really hard. … This went on for the last few months of our pregnancy where I’m going, ‘Hold on a second. How does that work. … If he’s not gonna be a prince, he needs to be safe.’”
Harry and Meghan — who wed in May 2018 — previously announced in January 2020 that they intended to step down from their royal lives in favor of a private life. The couple has since moved to Montecito (California), which the 73 year-old king briefly addressed during his first speech as reigning king.
“I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan, as they continue to build their lives overseas,” His Majesty said in a Friday, September 9, speech, before unveiling new titles for Queen Consort Camilla, and William & Kate, both 40.
Charles succeeded his late mother — who died on Thursday, September 8, at the age of 96 — as the country’s head of state. Since then, he has bestowed the title as queen consort on his 75-year old wife, whom he married in 2005. William, for his part, inherited his father’s Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall titles — making Kate the Princess of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. William and Kate’s new positions mean their three kids have new titles, as well. George will be known to the world as Prince George, while Charlotte will be Princess Charlotte of Wales. Louis will become Prince Louis.
Harry and Meghan, who are not senior royals, received new titles for William and Kate after Charles’ reign. Amid the changing monikers, the California residents have currently been in the U.K., where Harry was spotted at the queen’s Balmoral Castle on Thursday.
“Harry is guilt-stricken — full of sorrow and regret about not saying goodbye to the queen,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly He arrived at Elizabeth’s Scottish castle on Friday, he noted. “They met up a couple of times during the Platinum Jubilee, but he by no means expected it to be the last time he saw her.”
The insider added: “He loved his grandmother with all his heart and is going through a terrible time right now. The news hasn’t fully sunk in.”
Though Meghan had been in London with Harry for a set of joint engagements earlier this month, she did not travel to Scotland. After the queen’s death, the pair honored her 70-year reign with a memorial page via their Archewell website.
