The United States officially has another prince and princess! Before King Charles III’s coronation in May, Buckingham Palace updated the British royal family’s official website to finally deliver Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s two children “prince” and “princess” titles. The two young royal family members, ages 3 and 1, were slated to receive the titles before the death of Queen Elizabeth previously and had only been styled as “Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor” and “Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.” With the update, they are now officially “Prince Archie of Sussex” and “Princess Lilibet of Sussex.”
The change isn’t necessarily much of a surprise. Although the Sussexes have made great efforts to shield their children from the public eye, under a Letters Patent issued by King George V in 1917, the style of Royal Highness and title of Prince or Princess was granted to the children of the sovereign and the grandchildren of the sovereign in the male line. Since they were great-grandchildren of the monarch at the time of their births, Archie and Lilibet did not receive the titles.Although Archie was entitled to the “courtesy title” of Earl of Dumbarton upon his birth, his parents did not give him a courtesy title at that time. However, when Charles acceded in September, making them the grandchildren of the sovereign, they were afforded the titles of prince and princess, with a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex telling PEOPLE Thursday before the change was made, “The children’s titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch. This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace.”
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Little Archie and Lilibet’s new royal titles were used for the very first time on Wednesday, March 8, exactly six months after the death of Queen Elizabeth. A statement from a spokesperson for the Sussexes confirming Lilibet’s recent christening referred to the youngster with her “princess styling, the statement reading, “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.”
The new royal titles will not have any effect on the line of succession. Prince Archie is currently sixth in line to the throne behind his father, who remains fifth. Little Lilibet, who was born in California and has only been to the UK once, is seventh in the line of succession. Harry’s brother, Prince William, is first in line to the throne, followed by his three children – Prince George, the future king, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
