Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet
Although Prince Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, still remain the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, their children Archie, 3, and one-year-old Lilibet's titles have been elevated, and they can now officially be known as Prince and Princess since their grandfather ascended the throne. However, this is where things get a little tricky, as while they can be known as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, they will not have HRH titles. Prince Harry also gave up his 'His Royal Highness' status when he and Meghan stepped down as senior royals back in January 2020, so although he is still Prince Harry, he cannot be referred to as His Royal Highness, Prince Harry.
Will Archie and Lilibet get HRH titles?
King George V established in 1917 that children of the son of a sovereign may use a His or Her Royal Highness title "should they wish," which means that Archie and Lilibet have technically inherited the right to use the titles if they want to. While the children themselves may be too young to make the decision themselves, Harry and Meghan reportedly really want their children to have HRH titles predominantly for security reasons, as anyone with a HRH title is entitled to taxpayer-funded royal protection. And as security has been an ongoing issue with the Sussexes for quite some time, we understand why they are so keen for their children to have this!
"Harry and Meghan were worried about the security issue and being prince and princess brings them the right to have certain levels of royal security," an insider told The Sun. "There have been a lot of talks over the past week. They have been insistent that Archie and Lilibet are prince and princess. They have been relentless since the Queen died. But they have been left furious that Archie and Lilibet cannot take the title HRH. That is the agreement—they can be prince and princess but not HRH because they are not working royals."
What has the King said?
On Saturday, September 10, just two days after Queen Elizabeth II's passing, the King's spokesman said that Archie and Lilibet's names will be changed "as and when we get information." King Charles III reportedly won't make any decisions about official titles until the official mourning period for the Queen ends on September 26th, so perhaps we will have more information then.
The official royal family website has King Charles III and the new Prince and Princess of Wales' title changes, it currently doesn’t have any more information about other members of the royal family (including Harry and Meghan) although it is expected to be updated in the not-so-distant future. A royal spokesperson said on September 10th: "While the website was updated for the Waleses, clearly updating love on a website doesn't quite work so we've not quite done that but clearly he does love them. We will be working through updating the website as and when we get information." Watch this space!
Prince Harry's upcoming memoir
The plot thickens, as new reports are suggesting that the King could be waiting for the release of Prince Harry's bombshell memoir – which is expected to be released sometime next year – to make any official decisions about his children's titles.
"We know titles matter to Charles, and he reportedly wants to limit them to the top tier of royals," Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent Katie Nicholl wrote in her new book, The New Royals. "He is also reportedly reluctant for his brother Prince Edward to take the title Duke of Edinburgh, even though it was their late father’s wish."
"Would Charles go as far as barring Archie and Lilibet from becoming a prince and a princess now that the Sussexes are no longer working royals?" Nicholl asked, before going on to reference a source she spoke to. "According to a source close to the King, 'it depends a lot on what happens in the coming months, particularly with Harry’s book and their TV show.'"
This article was updated on 10/13/22 with the information below:
Royal expert Katie Nicholl weighs in
Yet more discussions about Archie and Lilibet's potential titles have taken place, with another royal expert confirming that, despite being entitled to Prince and Princess titles, they would *not* be entitled to HRH titles, as their parents are not working royals.
"They (Lilibet and Archie) wouldn't get the HRH anyway because they wouldn't be able to use it. Because Harry and Meghan can't," royal expert Katie Nicholl told Palace Confidential, before confirming that they can currently still use their Prince and Princess titles, just as their father has kept his Prince title. "But Prince and Princess is going to carry a lot more weight, of course, in America with what they do," she continued.
The real reason Prince Harry and Meghan want the HRH titles
Nicholl then went on to talk about the main reason why the Sussexes are so adamant on HRH status for their children, confirming that "there's the security issue attached with it." If you'll recall, The Sussexes lost their heightened security when they stepped down as senior royals in January 2020, resulting in a seemingly endless battle to get added privacy and security for their family.
Security
"I think it is one of the legitimate reasons for wanting those titles," Nicholl added, before going on to say that, as things currently stand, due to the rule established by King George V in 1917 that states that the Royal Highness title may be given to the children of the monarch or a male's line of grand-children, both Prince Harry *and* his children are technically entitled. Whether or not they will get them is of course a separate issue!
"Duke is the title that is owed to Harry because he's the son of the sovereign," Nicholl added. "And the rules at the moment are that the son of the sovereign's children will also take that title."