Royal Titles for Archie and Lilibet
For the past six months since Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, there has been speculation about the royal line of succession, particularly regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children. Buckingham Palace has now officially updated its website to display the new titles for Archie Harrison and Lilibet Diana. Following King Charles III’s ascension to the throne in September 2022, Archie and Lilibet’s titles have been updated to prince and princess, respectively. Archie is sixth in line for the throne, while Lilibet, born in 2021, is seventh. The line of succession adheres to a ruling laid out in a Letters Patent by King George V in 1917. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is fifth in line for the throne, just ahead of his children.
Previous Controversy Over Titles and Security
In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to step back as senior members of the royal family and moved to California before their second child was born. During a 2021 interview with Oprah, Meghan Markle opened up about discussions concerning whether Archie would receive a royal title while she was pregnant with him. She said, “They didn’t want him to be a prince or princess,” adding that he would not receive security, which left her feeling very scared. Meghan shared that there was “no explanation” for why he wouldn’t be given a title. However, the Letters Patent remained in effect, and Prince Harry and Meghan’s children are now referred to as Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.