Meghan Markle previously shared her thoughts on the monarchy (Image: Samir Hussein, Samir Hussein/WireImagevia Getty Images)
Since stepping away from royal duties, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have persistently voiced their concerns about their fractured relationship with the Duke’s relatives.
Because of this, fans were caught off guard when the couple unexpectedly revealed their choice to embrace their children’s royal titles in 2023. The pair share Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four.
The decision allegedly stemmed from a pivotal discussion with two of Harry’s family members.
The announcement came after daughter Lilibet’s christening ceremony in California, with the pair expressing their desire for their children to claim their royal titles.
This occurred despite the fact that Meghan and Harry are prohibited from using their HRH titles, and Meghan’s statement to Oprah Winfrey in 2021 that she felt no “attachment” to the “grandeur” associated with royal life.
Meghan with her son Archie in South Africa (Image: Pool, Getty Images)
A representative for the Sussexes stated at the time, “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.”
Reports now suggest the duo reached this conclusion following discussions with Harry’s cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. According to a royal commentator, the Sussexes reversed their stance for particular motivations.
“Harry and Meghan are very, very keen to cling onto those royal titles,” journalist Neil Sean said.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their two children (Image: ARCHEWELL)
He added, “After much deliberation, Meghan decided that the titles would be a good thing, not just for her but for both her children too.
“Meghan became very friendly with senior members of the monarchy, predominately Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice.
“After this, Meghan realised how useful a title can be, particularly when you want to move in the correct circles. That is the reason why they want to clutch hold of titles.”
Archie and Lilibet were entitled to be recognized as prince and princess from the moment their grandfather ascended to the throne due to a royal decree established by King George V.
The 1917 Letters Patent stipulated that only the sovereign’s children, direct male-line grandchildren, and the heir apparent’s eldest son could claim a princely designation.
This meant that while Archie and Lilibet served as Queen Elizabeth II’s great-grandchildren, they were barred from holding such titles, but upon King Charles’ accession, they qualified as the monarch’s grandchildren.
A 2012 Letters Patent, issued by Queen Elizabeth, bestowed the HRH designation upon all children of Charles’ eldest son, ensuring Prince William’s children received “Prince” and “Princess” status at birth.
Harry and Meghan’s kids are now recognized as Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex, and following a postponement, the official British royal family’s website revised their designations in the succession order.
Previously, they appeared as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor. This wasn’t the first occasion Harry and Meghan had caught royal fans off guard regarding their children.
The pair reportedly left the late Queen as “angry as I’d seen her” over one of their significant family choices, a palace insider revealed.
The Sussexes stepped away from royal duties in January 2020, barely two years following their wedding. The following June, they welcomed their second child, a daughter they decided to call Lilibet Diana.
The name selection certainly sparked controversy among royal fans. Lilibet served as the Queen’s personal pet name, dating back to her childhood years.
Harry and Meghan with the late Queen Elizabeth II (Image: Getty Images)
It’s believed the nickname originated because young Princess Elizabeth couldn’t properly say her own name.
Lilibet was exclusively used by a select few individuals in the Queen’s inner circle – her parents King George VI and the Queen Mother, her late sister Princess Margaret, her husband Prince Philip, and several intimate friends.
Consequently, questions arose at the time regarding whether Harry and Meghan had requested advance approval from Her Majesty. The BBC reported being informed by a palace source that the Queen hadn’t been consulted, while other media outlets claimed that when contacted by the couple, she didn’t feel she could refuse.
However, a spokesperson for the Sussexes insisted that the couple would not have used the name had the Queen not been “supportive.”
A statement said, “The duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement – in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called.
Archie and Lilibet snapped helping Meghan on the set of her Netflix show (Image: meghan/Instagram)
“During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honor. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.”
But, according to author Robert Hardman in his book Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story, one member of staff “privately recalled that Elizabeth II had been ‘as angry as I’d ever seen her’ in 2021 after the Sussexes announced that she had given them her blessing to call their baby daughter ‘Lilibet’ – the Queen’s childhood nickname.”
He continued, “The couple subsequently fired off warnings of legal action against anyone who dared to suggest otherwise, as the BBC had done. However, when the Sussexes tried to co-opt the Palace into propping up their version of events, they were rebuffed.
“Once again, it was a case of ‘recollections may vary’ – the late Queen’s reaction to the Oprah Winfrey interview – as far as Her Majesty was concerned. Those noisy threats of legal action duly evaporated and the libel actions against the BBC never materialized.”
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