After the sudden passing of Queen Elizabeth II, there have been and will be a number of changes within the royal family. And while all eyes are on the new King Charles III, many couldn’t help but wonder what changes will happen to the titles for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children, Archie and Lilibet.
Well, now that Her Majesty has passed away, it looks as if the siblings could be given their prince and princess titles after all. For the Duke and Duchess’ three-year-old son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, he could now hold the title of Prince Archie, and their one-year-old daughter Lilibet “Lili” Mountbatten-Windsor, she can claim the title of Princess Lilibet.
Established by King George V in 1917, protocols were created to see that grandchildren of a sovereign were given an automatic right their titles of HRH (His or Her Royal Highness) and prince or princess. But since Archie and Lilibet were great-grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II, they did not receive the titles. As for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s three children—George, Charlotte and Louis—they are also great-grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II, but things worked out a little differently for them.
For William and Kate‘s children, they earned their prince and princess titles upon birth. Before George was born, Her Majesty had issued letters to declare that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s future children would receive those titles.
However, the same was not done for Prince Harry and Meghan’s children, which became one of the reasons why the pair left their positions as members of the royal family. But now that Harry’s father, the now King Charles III, has taken the throne, the children are grandchildren to the sovereign and can claim the titles if they want them.
In March 2021, Meghan and Harry took part in a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, where they claimed that they weren’t told before Archie’s birth that he wouldn’t become a prince and wouldn’t have any security from the Palace since he didn’t have a title.
“If it meant he was going to be safe, of course [the title mattered],” Meghan said. “If you’re saying the title is what’s going to affect that protection, we haven’t created this monster machine around us in terms of clickbait and tabloid fodder. You’ve allowed that to happen, which means our son needs to be safe.”
But when she was asked by Oprah if she thought the Palace’s decision had to do with Meghan’s race, she alleged that royal family members had expressed concerns about the colour of her son’s skin.
“In those months when I was pregnant, all around this same time, so we [had] the conversation of he won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title,” she explained, adding, “and, also, concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born”.
Now that Archie and Lilibet are technically eligible for the titles that Meghan claimed they were denied, it might not be eligible to them for long. Before Her Majesty died, the new King Charles III reportedly thought about changing the royal protocols to make the Monarchy the only heirs to the throne.
If this goes forward, Archie and Lilibet would no longer receive those titles, but it is unknown if Prince Harry and Meghan have already took the opportunity to claim the titles for their two children.
For more rolling coverage on Queen Elizabeth II’s death, follow the links below:
- Queen Elizabeth II Has Died: A Look Back At Her History Making Tenure
- Here’s What Happens Next In The Wake Of The Queen’s Passing
- Here’s Why Reporters Changed Into Black Outfits Before Announcing Queen Elizabeth II’s Death
- A Brief History Of Queen Elizabeth II And Her 89 Year Long Royal Clan Of Corgis
- Will Duchess Camilla Be Queen Now That Charles Is King?
- Every Time The Royal Family Have Turned To Queen Elizabeth’s Vintage Wardrobe
- The Surprising Reason The Queen Always Wore Mint Green For Special Occasions
- What Will Kate Middleton’s Title Be Now That Queen Elizabeth II Has Died?
- Everything We Know About The Queen’s Funeral So Far
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