Harry and Meghan defend prince and princess titles despite shunning royal life
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have said it is their children’s ‘birthright’ to be called prince and princess, as the titles are finally updated on the royal website.
Prince Harry and Meghan announced yesterday that their daughter Lilibet had been christened – and used the title of ‘Princess’ for the first time publicly.
They will now also refer to their son Archie in formal settings using his royal title of ‘Prince’, it’s understood.
Now, they have issued a fresh statement saying Buckingham Palace had long agreed the change would happen when the King acceded to the throne.
A spokesperson for the Sussexes said: ‘The children’s titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch.
‘This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace.’
Archie and Lilibet were listed as master and miss on the royal website until this morning when their titles were updated – despite the line of succession changing five months ago when the Queen died.
Harry and Megan are said to be keen to allow their kids to choose whether to drop the royal titles for themselves when they get older.
Title rules set out by King George V in 1917 mean Archie and Lilibet, as the children of a son of a sovereign, automatically became a prince and a princess when Charles became King.
They would also be entitled to an HRH style, but their parents no longer use this after they stepped down as senior royals.
Some people have demanded the couple give up their titles after they moved to America and did a number of interviews making explosive claims about the Royal Family.
When asked in an interview with Anderson Cooper if he would do this, Harry asked: ‘And what difference would that make?’
Cooper replied: ‘One of the criticisms that you’ve received is that okay, fine, you wanna move to California, you wanna step back from the institutional role. Why be so public?
‘Why reveal conversations you’ve had with your father or with your brother? You say you tried to do this privately.’
Harry responded saying ‘every single time I’ve tried to do it privately there have been briefings and leakings and planting of stories against me and my wife’.
The dad-of-two added: ‘You know, the family motto is never complain, never explain. But it’s just a motto. And it doesn’t really hold.’
Sources have claimed the Sussexes invited King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton to Lilibet’s christening, but none of them came.
According to People magazine, around 25 attended the event, including Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, Lilbet’s godfather, Tyler Perry and an unnamed godmother.
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