Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan
Archie and Lilibet get royal titles
Harry and Meghan mourn the loss of Queen Elizabeth.
© imago/APress
With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the children of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, Archie and Lilibet, are now getting royal titles.
The children of Queen’s grandson Prince Harry (37) and his wife Duchess Meghan (41) get royal titles and can call themselves Prince Archie (3) and Princess Lilibet (1) in the future – if they, or their parents, want it and for as long as they want the new King Charles III. (73) does not change the protocol.
With the death of Queen Elizabeth II (96), the son of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, is now officially a prince. His younger sister Lilibet “Lili” Mountbatten-Windsor is also entitled to the title of princess following the accession of her grandfather, the Prince of Wales.
Meghan in the Oprah Winfrey interview
But it doesn’t seem that easy if you believe what the then heavily pregnant Duchess Meghan explained in her scandalous interview with US talker Oprah Winfrey (68) in March 2021. In their view, Archie would be denied his title because of his heritage. She had spoken of her shock that Archie would not be given police protection because he has no title.
As The Guardian further summarizes, the Sussexes said in the double interview that they expected Archie to receive the title of prince from Charles upon accession to the throne, but were said to have been told protocols would be changed. In accordance with Charles’ desire for a streamlined monarchy, her child would thus be barred from becoming HRH and Prince.
When asked in the Winfrey interview if it was important to her that Archie become a prince, Meghan replied, “If it means he’s safe, then of course.” She said this in light of the fact that members of the extended royal family are not automatically entitled to police protection.
The Protocols of King George V
Under the protocols introduced by King George V (1865-1936) in December 1917, the children and grandchildren of a British ruler are automatically entitled to the title HRH and prince or princess. HRH is an acronym for His/Her Royal Highness, which is used to address some members of the British royal family.
However, when Archie and Lilibet were born, they were only the great-grandchildren of the Empress and not yet the grandchildren of the current monarch. Since Thursday, however, they have been grandchildren and granddaughters. This would require the king to write an official letter to prevent the two from exercising their right to be a prince and princess.
George V’s declaration also meant that until the death of the Queen, only Prince William’s (40) son Prince George (9), the heir to the throne but one, had the right to be a prince.
Public tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
Apart from these formalities, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan paid their respects to the Queen and, on the occasion of her death, the Homepage of their Archewell Foundation dipped in black. “In loving memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” the site said Thursday. They also added the Regent’s year of birth and death: “1926-2022”.
Passed away peacefully on Balmoral
The Queen died peacefully on Thursday (September 8th) on her Scottish estate. The royal family announced this in the evening. The monarch was 96 years old. King Charles III succeeds to the throne.