Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Reportedly ‘Furious’ Kids Won’t Get Royal Titles

Now that King Charles III is in charge, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children, Archie and Lilibet, are eligible to use royal titles. However, they may not actually use them. The New York Post reported that while Archie and Lilibet may get to use “Prince” and “Princess,” they won’t be known as HRH (His or Her Royal Highness). The publication noted that the alleged decision has reportedly left Harry and Markle “furious.”

Now that their grandfather is the current monarch, Archie and Lilibet are entitled to be called “Prince Archie” and “Princess Lilibet” thanks to a rule that was established by King George V (Queen Elizabeth II’s grandfather). Under this rule, “…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.” However, one aspect of their titles may not be bestowed on them. 

Since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex officially stepped down from their roles as senior working members of the royal family, their children reportedly won’t be allowed to use “HRH” before their names. An insider told The Sun, “That is the agreement — they can be prince and princess but not HRH because they are not working royals.” There have reportedly been “a lot of talks over the past week” about this decision ever since Charles ascended to the throne. A source claimed, “They have been relentless since the Queen died” and that they “have been insistent that Archie and Lilibet are prince and princess.” They continued to claim, “But they have been left furious that Archie and Lilibet cannot take the title HRH.”

The subject of titles for Markle and Harry’s kids has been a significant conversation over the past few years. During the couple’s interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, they addressed this very subject. Markle claimed that the royal family did not want their firstborn to be titled “prince” or “princess.” She said, “They were saying they didn’t want him to be a prince or princess, which would be different from protocol, and that he wasn’t going to receive security. This went on for the last few months of our pregnancy where I was going, hold on for a second.” The Duchess of Sussex added that she would have wanted her child to have a title if it “meant he was going to be safe.”