Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Lev Radin/Pacific Press/Shutterstock
Introducing Prince Archie and Princess Lili! After King Charles III was officially proclaimed sovereign, his children and grandchildren received new titles.
While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gave up their official royal positions (and the styling of an His/Her Royal Highness distinction) when they stepped back from their roles of senior royals in 2020, their children — Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 15 months — are now able to be called prince and princess since their grandparent is the reigning monarch.
King George V initially decreed in 1917 that royal titles (like the prince and princess monikers) should be given to any children of the monarch’s sons. However, Prince William and Duchess Kate‘s three children — Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4 — had such titles during Queen Elizabeth II’s rule after she amended the decree to include all children of the Duke of Cambridge. Archie and Lili didn’t qualify for the titles, however, since they were her great-grandchildren and only the future King of England’s family were allowed the exception.
The Suits alum, 41, and the military veteran, 37, have previously been outspoken about their children not having royal titles.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Shutterstock
“They didn’t want him to be a prince or a princess, which would be different from protocol,” Meghan previously claimed of the monarchy during a bombshell CBS interview in March 2021, noting that meant Archie would not be entitled to security protection. “It was really hard. … This went on for the last few months of our pregnancy where I’m going, ‘Hold on a second. How does that work? … If he’s not gonna be a prince, he needs to be safe.’”
Harry and Meghan — who wed in May 2018 — previously announced in January 2020 that they intended to step down from their royal lives in favor of a private life. The pair have since moved to Montecito, California, which the 73-year-old king briefly addressed in his first speech as reigning monarch.
“I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan, as they continue to build their lives overseas,” His Majesty said in a Friday, September 9, speech, before unveiling new titles for Queen Consort Camilla, and William and Kate, both 40.
Charles succeeded his late mother — who died on Thursday, September 8, at the age of 96 — as the country’s head of state. He has since bestowed the title of queen consort to his 75-year-old wife, whom he wed in 2005. William, for his part, inherited his father’s Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall titles — making Kate the Princess of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. William and Kate’s new positions mean their three kids have new titles, as well. George will be known as Prince George of Wales, while Charlotte will become Princess Charlotte of Wales and Louis will become Prince Louis of Wales.
While William and Kate received new titles after Charles began his reign, Harry and Meghan did not as they are not active senior royals. Amid the changing monikers, the California residents have currently been in the U.K., where Harry was spotted at the queen’s Balmoral Castle on Thursday.
“Harry is guilt-stricken — full of sorrow and regret about not saying goodbye to the queen,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly on Friday, noting he arrived at her Scottish castle shortly after Elizabeth had passed away. “They met up a couple of times during the Platinum Jubilee, but he by no means expected it to be the last time he saw her.”
The insider added: “He loved his grandmother with all his heart and is going through a terrible time right now. The news hasn’t fully sunk in.”
Though Meghan had been in London with Harry for a set of joint engagements earlier this month, she did not travel to Scotland. After the queen’s death, the pair honored her 70-year reign with a memorial page via their Archewell website.
