Royal Family
Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children use royal titles?
The couple have the right to use Prince for Archie and Princess for Lilibet following the accession of King Charles to the throne.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrated the christening of daughter Princess Lilibet Diana last Friday.
The Duke and Duchess were joined by 20 to 30 guests for the Anglican ceremony, which was held at their Montecito mansion.
Amongst those in attendance were Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, Lilibet’s godfather, Tyler Perry, as well as an unnamed godmother.
Although Prince Harry and Meghan Markle invited members of the royal family to Lilibet’s christening, King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton were not in attendance.
Harry and Meghan have started calling their children prince and princess
Along with the christening, the event was also noteworthy in that it was the first time Prince Harry and Meghan Markle referred to Lilibet as a princess, which confirms the couple will use royal titles for their children.
A statement from the Sussexes referred to the 21-month-old as ‘Princess Lilibet Diana’, marking the first time the couple have invoked their right use the term following the accession of King Charles to the throne. Archie will be called prince.
Although Lilibet wasn’t born a princess, because she wasn’t the granddaughter of the monarch, she gained that right when King Charles acceded to the throne.
Buckingham Palace have already said that the royal website, which currently lists Lilibet and brother Archie with the titles Miss and Master, will “be updated in due course” to reflect the change.
Harry and Meghan reportedly want their children to decide for themselves whether they will drop or keep using the royal titles when they are older. However, they will not use the titles conversationally, and only in formal contexts, according to the BBC.
Rules regarding titles of royal children
The rules governing the titles of royal children were set out by King George V in 1917. As children of the son of a sovereign, Archie and Lilibet are automatically entitled to be called prince and princess when Charles became King.
They would also be entitled to a His or Her Royal Highness styling, however Harry and Meghan no longer use them, despite still retaining them, after quitting the working monarchy.