Why Harry and Meghan’s children, Archie and Lilipet, can use the nicknames ‘Prince’ and ‘Princess’

many of Royal titles It has already transformed after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, including the deaths of Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.

The two sons of Prince Harry and the former Meghan Markle are now eligible to claim the titles of “Prince” and “Princess”, in line with a decree issued by King George V in 1917.

Although questions remain about whether the titles will is changed: while royal family website Updated to reflect the other New titles for members of the royal familyArchie and Lilibet are still listed as Master and Miss Mountbatten-Windsor.

According to this written order, known as the Letters Patent, “children and grandchildren of a reigning monarch automatically have the right to the titles ‘His Royal Highness’ or ‘Your Royal Highness’ and ‘Prince’ or ‘Princess,'” royal commentator and biographer Caroline Durand told TODAY.

Durand explained that prior to the Queen’s death on September 8, Archie, 3, and Lillibet, 1, were great-grandchildren of the reigning monarch, and therefore were not eligible to have their names called “Prince” or “Princess.”

But now, with their grandfather ruling as King Charles III, they would be eligible to use these honors.

Prince George, 9, has always been an exception to the rules laid out in the 1917 decree; as a direct successor to British throneHe was given the title Prince since his birth.

His siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, were not usually given the titles of “Prince” and “Princess” – but in 2012 the Queen changed the rules for all of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s former children.

“(Prince George) will be king one day,” said Durand. “So he was entitled to be a prince, but no other children William and Kate had not. So she (the Queen) stepped in and issued letters patent, so any children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, now Cornwall, would be a prince or a princess, so all the children would be the same.” .

“Harry and Meghan have not indicated if they will use these titles,” Durand said. “They are entitled to be designed this way – that’s the term – but we don’t know if they would choose to use it.”

Harry and Meghan have stopped using their royal titles “His Royal Highness” and “Her Royal Highness” after they stepped back from their royal duties in 2020.

Some royal children who could have used royal titles do not. For example, neither the children of Prince Edward nor Princess Anne, Elizabeth’s youngest son and daughter, do not use the titles “prince” or “princess,” even though they are eligible to use them.

On the other hand, Prince Andrew, the late Queen’s second son, chose to award the titles of “His Royal Highness” to his two daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

It’s possible that in the future, King Charles could change the rules about addresses, but for now, it’s too early to say.

“We don’t know in the future if he will change the Letters Patent, in which case Archie and Lilibet cannot necessarily use these titles in the future,” Durand said. “There is no indication that he will or will not, but he has called for a watered-down monarchy in the past.”

While some questions remain about Archie and Lilibet’s future titles, some Royal titles She has definitely changed since the Queen’s death.

The Prince of Wales became King Charles III, and his wife, the former Duchess of Cornwall, is now known as Her Majesty the Queen.

Prince William and the ex-Kate Middleton are too Now known as the Prince and Princess of Wales. Meanwhile, Durand said the former Harry and Meghan Markle will remain the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.