Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan hold their son Archie at the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa, in September 2019. File photo by Toby Melville/EPA-EFE
Sept. 10 (UPI) — Britain’s royal family has updated its line of succession to the throne, raising questions about whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children, Archie and Lilybet Mountbatten-Windsor, will officially be named prince and princess. After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, young royals automatically receive royal titles as grandchildren of a monarch under rules established by George V in 1917. Archie and Lillibet, as great-granddaughters of Queen Elizabeth, did not immediately qualify for the title when she was alive. However, the official royal family website now refers to Archie and Lillibet as ‘Sir’ and ‘Miss’ respectively, placing them sixth and seventh in the line of succession after their father, rather than including their titles as Prince and Princess . With the accession of King Charles III, his son Prince William becomes first in line to the throne followed by his three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. In her interview with Oprah Winfrey last year, Meghan Markle suggested that the title of prince may be denied to Archie because of his mixed parentage. “They didn’t want it to be a prince or a princess, which would have been different from protocol,” Meghan said at the time. She also said there were discussions when she was pregnant about whether the conventions would change if and when Charles came to the throne. Harry and Meghan cited harsh treatment by the British media in a manner reminiscent of the late Princess Diana, his mother, when they stepped down as members of the British royal family in March 2020 and moved to Montecito, California. Elizabeth’s death has also raised questions about whether Camilla, the wife of King Charles, will be known as ‘Queen’ or ‘Queen’. In February, Queen Elizabeth backed a plan to invite her son’s wife Queen Camilla to a decision that will affect the future of the British monarchy. It had long been disputed whether Camilla would take the title of Queen Consort or another title, such as Princess Consort. “When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes king, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support you have given me,” Queen Elizabeth wrote in a letter at the time. “It is my sincere wish that, when the time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.” Queen Elizabeth’s death came shortly after the 25th anniversary of the deaths of Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed in a car crash in Paris after being chased by paparazzi. Subsequent laws restricting such hunts by photographers in Europe and the United States, the birth of social media and the COVID-19 lockdowns have combined to reduce the value of such images since Diana’s death. On Saturday, the royal family announced that Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey on September 19 and that she will lie in state at Westminster Hall for four days before the funeral so the public can pay their respects. William, Prince of Wales, released his first official statement on his grandmother’s death on Saturday. “While I am saddened by her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of the Queen’s wisdom and reassurance in my fifth decade,” William said in the statement. “I knew this day would come, but it will be a while before the reality of life without Grandma really feels real. I thank her for the kindness she showed my family and me.”
