Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still very much estranged from their royal relatives and no longer speak to King Charles or Prince William. However, according to one royal expert, the Prince of Wales allegedly shielded his younger brother and sister in law from a ‘very public insult’
They may be leading a very different life in California from the one they sensationally quit as working royals in the UK. But one thing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have continued to use, despite no longer being part of the working monarchy, is their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles.
The subject of the pair’s royal titles has created controversy in recent weeks, and there has been speculation about whether Prince William might decide to strip them from the couple once he becomes king. While the former working royals are no longer supposed to use their HRH titles for commercial reasons, Harry and Meghan still very much present themselves as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, titles which were gifted to them by Queen Elizabeth II on their wedding day in 2018.
There have been repeated calls from the anti-Sussex camp to strip them of the titles, but no indication that King Charles has any intention of doing so. Yet with William, 42, next in line to the throne, rumours have circulated that he might take a different stance, especially since he and Harry, 40, are no longer on speaking terms and, according to royal expert Jennie Bond, could be estranged forever.
But she warned that it might not be something we ever see happen, especially given the complexity of taking away titles. She told the Mirror: “Granted, there seems to be a public appetite for stripping them of their titles, but I think it’s unlikely that William would choose to do this. It would seem, and in fact would be, quite vindictive. There is also the question of whether a monarch can indeed do this.
“Some titles could be removed on the will of the Sovereign, but the universal view is that to strip someone of their Peerage demands an act of Parliament. Harry became Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron of Kilkeel when he married in 2018.
“And it would be a brave government to venture into that field when there are, in all honesty, so many more pressing issues. King Edward VIII remained a Duke for the rest of his life, even though he lived in exile.
“William may remain estranged from his brother forever, even though this would be a very sad state of affairs. But, if he does, I think he will continue to regard Harry simply as irrelevant to his life and to this country. And I don’t think he would trouble himself with taking away either of their titles.”
Harry and Meghan’s children – Archie, six, and Lilibet, who turns four next week – were not automatically prince and princess at birth because they were not the grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch at the time.
But they earned the right in September 2022, when Charles acceded to the throne, and they’re now officially Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex, sixth and seventh in the line of succession.
Following a backlash from those questioning the decision, given the couple’s earlier move to distance themselves from the royal family, the Sussex camp released a statement which 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.”
Meghan also stirred up another title debate last month, when a podcast video revealed she had sent a gift basket with an accompanying card to a friend, which read: “With the compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussex.” Sources from the Sussex camp insisted it wasn’t a breach of the agreement, as they are still entitled to use HRH in private.
When they stepped back from royal duties in 2020, a statement from Buckingham Palace said: “The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the royal family.”
Jennie suspects, given the evidence that Meghan still uses the HRH title, that the couple would be “hurt and angry” if William were to remove them completely. “For Harry and Meghan, it would, of course, be a very public insult,” she said.
“Curiously, even though they have turned their backs on rejoining the working royals, they seem very wedded to the idea that their children should use their royal titles. And Meghan is clearly not averse to using her HRH, even though she was expressly told not to.
“So I’m sure they would be hurt and angry if theirs were taken from them. It would, inevitably, reduce their standing, particularly, perhaps, in the eyes of the American public, who seem to adore royalty. But I simply do not think this is going to happen.”