Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet were officially given their royal titles in 2023, when Archie was four and ‘Lili’ Diana was two.
But back in 2021, during their candid interview with Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared their concerns about their children having royal titles. So what changed since then?
At the time of their births, neither Archie nor Lilibet had royal titles, following a long-standing tradition within the royal family — something that upset their parents. Here’s a detailed look at what Harry and Meghan said both before and after their children received their official titles.
Meghan Markle’s Issue Over Prince Archie’s Title
In her revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle said her son was denied a royal title because of his race.
However, experts clarified that the reason was actually that only the grandchildren of the current monarch receive the royal title of Prince or Princess. Since Archie is Queen Elizabeth II’s great-grandchild, he wasn’t eligible for the title — the same applied to Lilibet, who was born in 2021.
During the CBS interview, Meghan said: “They didn’t want him to be a prince or princess, not knowing what the gender would be, which would be different from protocol, and [said] that he wasn’t going to receive security.”
When Oprah asked if this upset her, Meghan responded: “All the grandeur surrounding this stuff is an attachment I don’t personally have. I have been a waitress, an actress, a princess, a duchess, and I’ve always just been Meghan.
“The most important title I will ever have is Mom but the idea of our son not being safe and also the idea of the first member of colour in this family not being titled in the same way that other grandchildren would be…”
She also claimed the rules were changed while she was pregnant.
“It’s not their right to take it away…” she said. “While I was pregnant they said they want to change the convention for Archie. Well, why?”
What does royal protocol say about titles?
The rule we follow today was set by King George V, Queen Elizabeth II’s grandfather, back in November 1917.
He issued a letter patent stating that only the monarch’s great-grandchildren who are the eldest son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales would automatically be princes or princesses.
Before Charles became King, this meant William’s son George was entitled to the prince title from birth. But Archie, though a great-grandson of the Queen, was not included under this rule.
So, Meghan’s claim that the rule was changed while she was pregnant is incorrect — this rule had been in place for over 100 years before Archie was born.
This rule also originally meant George’s siblings, Charlotte and Louis, wouldn’t get titles either. However, in 2012, the Queen issued a letter patent that extended the prince and princess titles (and the HRH style) to William’s children, since he was second in line to the throne.
Additionally, titles like prince and princess pass only through the male line. That’s why Princess Anne’s children, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, do not have royal titles despite being the Queen’s grandchildren.
When did Archie and Lilibet get their prince and princess titles?
Archie and Lilibet officially became prince and princess in March 2023, which also means they can use the titles His and Her Royal Highness.
Interestingly, Buckingham Palace didn’t make an official announcement about this, even though Harry and Meghan reportedly hoped they would.
The titles actually took effect when their grandfather, King Charles, became monarch in September 2022. Before that, Archie and Lilibet were simply listed as Master Archie and Miss Lilibet on the Buckingham Palace website.
The Sussexes confirmed the change in a statement following Lilibet’s christening earlier in March.
A spokesperson said, “I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3, by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Reverend John Taylor.”
They also noted that the children’s royal titles were their “birthright” since their grandfather became king and that this had been agreed upon with Buckingham Palace for some time.
Buckingham Palace did not announce title changes for Archie and Lilibet.
Royal expert Ingrid Seward said Meghan and Harry wanted the Palace to make the announcement first.
She explained the kids could use the titles after their great-grandmother died, but their parents waited six months to start using them.
The Palace kept quiet, letting the Sussexes announce it themselves to avoid complaints.
Seward added that no one will “push aside” royal traditions.