Under rules that are more than a century old, any child or grandchild of the monarch can take royal titles. While Harry’s grandmother reigned, Mountbatten-Windsor’s children Archie Harrison, 3, and Lilybet ‘Lily’ Diana, 1, were too far down the line of succession to be automatically entitled to royal titles. (The Queen, namesake of little Lilibet, had the power to change that but didn’t, much to the dismay of Harry and Meghan fans.) Under King Charles III, Archie and Lillibet as his grandsons would traditionally receive new honors — but it’s unclear if they have yet. “I would wait for the situation to be clarified. It wasn’t,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said on Sunday. Queen Elizabeth II’s line of succession, visualized In a list of those who will succeed the monarch published by Buckingham Palace, Archie and Lilybet – sixth and seventh in line to the throne respectively – were referred to as ‘Master’ and ‘Miss’, not ‘Prince’ and ‘ Princess”. “ On September 10, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, made a rare joint appearance with the Prince and Princess of Wales. (Video: The Washington Post) That has fueled speculation that Charles, who has famously said he wants the ranks of the monarchy to “thin” around a core set of full-time working royals, may break with precedent and refuse to give his grandchildren royal titles. The palace did not immediately respond Sunday to a request for comment from The Washington Post. The issue of Archie and Lillibet’s status took on new urgency last year when the couple told Oprah Winfrey that the royal family had treated their firstborn, Archie, differently, including denying him the title of prince – a a move that Meghan’s mother is Black, it was suggested was driven by institutional racism within the monarchy. Harry and Meghan appear with William in a sign of possible royal rapprochement In 1917, King George V, Harry’s great-grandfather, issued a legal document known as the Letters Patent which defined which members of the royal family were entitled to the title of prince or princess and HRH, His Royal Highness and the royal objects that come with them, which may include financial compensation and sponsorships. Harry and Meghan gave up their own HRH titles as part of an agreement with the royal family when they retired to more private lives and moved to North America. (As The Post reported, the couple and their children have moved into a $14.7 million home in Montecito, California.) “The grandsons of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (except only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall in every case have and enjoy the style and title enjoyed by the children of the Dukes of these Realms us,” the 1917 document states. Lilibet is turning 1 and pictures show that Harry and Meghan’s daughter is loving it This means that during Elizabeth’s reign, of all her great-grandchildren, only Prince William’s eldest son, Prince George, had the right to be called His Royal Highness. However, he issued a patent to allow George’s siblings, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte, to hold HRH titles. On Charles’ accession to the throne, Archie and Lilibet ‘should have been offered [royal titles]Fitzwilliams said. In her interview with Winfrey, Meghan said that while she was pregnant with Archie, she learned that Buckingham Palace “didn’t want to be a prince or princess” and that she was “not going to get insurance.” In the face of extreme media scrutiny of her and her family, Meghan said, she worried her son would be less safe if he didn’t enjoy the full protection she felt came from a royal title. She also said that she and Harry had not made the decision not to give Archie the princely title, as some media reports had suggested at the time. Why isn’t Meghan and Harry’s son a prince? A look at how royal titles are awarded. When asked why she thought the royal family didn’t make Archie a prince, Meghan said discussions were being held “together” about how Archie won’t be given a title and about “how dark his skin might be when he’s born”. “The implication was that they weren’t offered titles and that was linked to racism,” Fitzwilliams said. “It was extremely damaging.” Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah was a surprise. But it is unlikely to change the British monarchy. Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, spoke to Oprah Winfrey about stepping down from life as senior members of the royal family in an interview that aired on March 7, 2021. (Video: The Washington Post) Not all royals choose to take a title, and it’s not clear whether Harry and Meghan would want their children to have it even if it were offered, Fitzwilliams said. Princess Anne, Elizabeth’s daughter, chose not to give her children, Peter and Zara, HRH titles. She spoke about her decision in a 2020 interview with Vanity Fair. “I think it was probably easier for them and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles,” he said. “So I think that was probably the right thing to do.” While there are many advantages to being a member of the royal family by title, a major disadvantage is the lack of privacy that comes with an elevated position in the eyes of the press and public. “On the other hand, if Harry and Meghan are desperately sensitive about this issue, as appeared on Oprah was, is very important of course [that Archie and Lilibet] to be offered to them, because that is the ordinance of 1917,” Fitzwilliams said. If they weren’t offered titles, “it would obviously be seen as deep snobbery,” he added. “If they were and if they decide not to take them, that’s an individual choice.” William Booth, Karla Adam and Jennifer Hassan contributed to this report.
Remembering Queen Elizabeth II
The last: Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, died in Scotland on Thursday. He was 96. Follow the latest as the royal family takes on new titles as the new king, Charles III, is officially declared monarch of the United Kingdom. Funeral arrangements: The funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey, London on September 19 at 11am. London time. Here’s what we know about the funeral plans and how the country will lay the Queen to rest. In her own words: Queen Elizabeth II’s speeches marked key moments of her 70 years on the throne – giving insights into her family, faith and sense of duty. Her statements provide snapshots of what was happening in her personal life and in British public life. A new face: Queen Elizabeth II’s face appears all over Britain, looming large on buildings or subtly present on coins inside pockets. The British will have to adjust quickly to see the face of the new monarch. Here are some of the key elements of everyday British life that will have to change. We follow the changes in the British monarchy after Elizabeth. To take the Publish Elizabeth’s newsletter for the latest updates.
