This article has been updated since its original publication date to include new info
King Charles, 74, has finally stripped Prince Harry of his HRH (His Royal Highness) title, more than three years after he and Meghan Markle announced that they would be stepping down as senior royals.
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their shock announcement back in 2020, Buckingham Palace released the following statement: “The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the royal family.” And now the world has finally seen that change be made official, as Prince Harry’s HRH title has been removed from the royal family website.
Is Prince Harry At Risk Of Losing His Duke Of Sussex Title?
Prince Harry, 38, released his tell-all memoir, Spare, back in January – and it dropped a number of bombshells, including revelations about his past drug use and accusations against family members such as Kate Middleton and his father’s wife Camilla, the Queen Consort.
As reported by Instyle back in April, royal expert Robert Jobson revealed in his book King Charles III: Our King: the Man and the Monarch that Harry and Meghan losing their titles was being "discussed at the highest level." Legally, Harry's "Prince" title cannot be stripped from him since it is given at birth, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles (a wedding gift from the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2018) can be taken from the couple. Yikes!
According to Jobson's book, the King is reportedly not in favor of taking the titles away, but other senior royal officials are less tolerant. Since the prince and his wife decided to leave royal duties and move to California, some believe that the duo no longer deserves the titles.
"Ultimately, despite Charles's enduring love for his son, he will come under increasing pressure if Harry continues to attack the monarchy," Jobson wrote in his book, adding, "At that point, the King would have two options: put up with the spreading stain on his reign, or take action to limit its scope."
If their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles are stripped, Prince Harry and Meghan would be "demoted to Mr. and Mrs. Mountbatten-Windsor of Montecito, California," according to Jobson.
What Else Did Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Lose When They Stepped Down As Senior Royals?
As we previously mentioned, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still have their gifted royal titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. For now. But there are other duties and privileges they lost when they exited their duties to the royal family.
Harry and Meghan lost their patronages when they left their royal roles, including the Queen's Commonwealth Trust, the Rugby Football Union, the Rugby Football League, the Royal National Theatre, and the Association of Commonwealth Universities, which all reverted back to the late Queen, and were later distributed among working members of the royal family.
Prince Harry also lost his honorary military appointments when exiting his duties, which included Captain General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington, and Commodore-in-Chief Small Ships and Diving.
Despite no longer being a working royal, Prince Harry is still fifth in line for the succession of the throne behind his brother Prince William and his three nephews and nieces – Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, respectively. Prince Harry's children with Meghan – Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2 – are sixth and seventh in line for the throne.
