Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s brutal swipe at royals over Archie and Lilibet’s titles
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly ‘furious’ their children can’t use their HRH titles after Queen Elizabeth restricted the usage to working members of the Royal Family.
Archie and Lilibet: Commentator discusses titles
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s firstborn son, Prince Archie and his sister, Prince Lilibet, may now be called by their royal titles – but that wasn’t always the case.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex publicly used their children’s titles for the first time when announcing Lilibet’s christening back in March 2023.
However, they were not always entitled to become a prince and a princess.
King George V – Queen Elizabeth’s grandfather – introduced a rule in 1917 which gave the children and grandchildren of a sovereign the automatic right to the HRH, prince and princess titles.
The ruling restricted the usage of the style HRH and the title of prince or princess to the children of the monarch, the children of the sons of the monarch and the eldest son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales only.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walking
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Queen Elizabeth further restricted the usage of of the style HRH to working members of the Firm only.
When Archie was born in 2019, he was the great-grandchild of a sovereign rather than a grandchild, so was not given the title. But Kate and William’s children were the exception to the rule, as the late Queen granted them an exception as children of the future King.
However, when Elizabeth died in 2022 and King Charles acceded to the throne, it meant Archie and Lilibet were entitled to be a prince and princess.
Up until then, they were referred to as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.
Charles agreed to issue Letters Patent granting the Sussex children the titles of prince and princess.
They are now named as the Prince and Princess of Sussex on the line of succession page and are sixth and seventh in line to the throne.
However, due to Elizabeth’s restriction, even though Archie and Lilibet, as well as their parents, are entitled to the HRH title, they cannot use it because they are not working royals.
Harry and Meghan were reportedly left “furious” over this decision and raised concerns over their children’s security as becoming a prince or princess does not automatically mean royals have police protection.
A source told the Sun in 2022: “Harry and Meghan were worried about the security issue and being prince and princess brings them the right to have certain levels of royal security.
“There have been a lot of talks over the past week. They have been insistent that Archie and Lilibet are prince and princess. They have been relentless since the Queen died.
“But they have been left furious that Archie and Lilibet cannot take the title HRH. That is the agreement — they can be prince and princess but not HRH because they are not working royals.”
