Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children are now officially a prince and princess according to British law. This weekend, they held a Christening ceremony for their daughter Lilibet, and their public statement to the press referred to her as “Princess Lilibet” for the first time. This was the first time either of them got to use their titles in public.
Prince Harry and Markle’s children have not technically held the titles of prince and princess up until recently due to nuances in royal tradition and British law. Following the rules established by King George V in 1917, those titles were reserved for “the grandchildren of the sons of any such sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of dukes of these our realms.” That’s why Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children were princes and princess while Markle and Prince Harry’s children were initially referred to as “Master Archie” and “Miss Lilibet.”
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Under King George V’s rules, Archie and Lilibet were eligible for an upgrade in royal titles starting in September when Queen Elizabeth II passed away and King Charles III took the throne. However, the royal family did not announce any such changes until this weekend. It’s understandable that they did not want to squabble over the shuffling of titles while grieving for the queen, but it is still a relief to many fans that Prince Harry and Markle’s children are now getting their birthright recognized.
Prince Harry and Markle held a small, private Christening ceremony for Princess Lilibet in California this weekend with 20 to 30 people in attendance. The king, the Prince of Wales and their spouses were invited but did not attend, according to a report by PEOPLE. A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said: “I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor.”
Those in attendance included Markle’s mother Doria Ragland, Princess Lilibet’s godfather comedian Tyler Perry, and the Sussexes’ older son Prince Archie. Princess Lilibet was born on June 4, 2021, in Santa Barbara, California. The family lives in the U.S. full time now but has already made trips to the U.K. to visit with the royal family. It remains unclear if they will travel there in May to attend the Coronation of King Charles III.
