Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are Harry and Meghan’s, children. With the passing of the monarch, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex have been officially named after Harry and Meghan.
Conventions established well over a century ago are to blame for the shift. A grandchild of the monarch is automatically accorded a royal title per the guidelines established by George V in 1917.
While Archie and Lilibet did not instantly qualify as princes and princesses as great-grandchildren of the Queen, they do today as grandkids of King Charles III.
Over the past year, Meghan has made some damaging insinuations that Archie may be disqualified from receiving this title due to his mixed-race ancestry. The Duchess of Sussex revealed this in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, saying that a member of the royal family had “concerns and debates about how dark his complexion would be when he was born.”
Meghan continued, “That was given to me through Harry. Those were conversations that the family had with him.” However, she did not specify who had been part in those discussions. She remarked, “That would be really detrimental to them.”
At the same time that the duchess claimed these remarks were made, she also claimed that the pair had been advised that Archie would be denied security and a formal title. She also revealed that while she was expecting, she and Charles had “conversations” about changing the norm so that Archie would no longer be entitled to a title once Charles became King.
She told Winfrey that her need for police protection was tied to her son’s claim to the title of prince. After the interview, Lilibet was born.
At the time of Archie’s birth in 2019, Buckingham Palace confirmed to CNN that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had decided against giving their baby a royal title.
In her interview with Winfrey, Meghan flatly denied that rumor, adding, “It’s not our decision to make, right.”
The King has not shown any intention to alter the convention.
It was agreed that Harry and Meghan would remain a part of the family, but the couple decided to surrender their HRH titles and focus on their careers instead of royal obligations in 2020. If Harry and Meghan don’t pick up where they left off, it’s unlikely that the prince will be awarded a royal position.
On Thursday, after Buckingham Palace expressed “worry” about the Queen’s health, numerous members of the royal family, including Harry, flew to Balmoral Castle. However, Meghan did not accompany her husband.