<p><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/prince-harry/”>Prince Harry</a> and Meghan Markle released a statement that defended the use of <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/kate-middleton-why-her-royal-title-differs-from-others-in-the-house-of-windsor.html/”>royal titles</a> for their two children, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lililbet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. They cited the children’s “birthright” for being called prince and princess. This announcement came one day after they revealed Princess Lilibet was christened in their California home.</p>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full”><img decoding=”async” loading=”lazy” width=”1600″ height=”800″ src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/meghan-markle-prince-harry-in-2018.jpg?strip=all&quality=95″ alt=”Meghan Markle and Prince Harry photographed in 2018, defended the use of their children’s royal titles as their ‘birthright.'” class=”wp-image-3425442″ srcset=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/meghan-markle-prince-harry-in-2018.jpg 1600w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/meghan-markle-prince-harry-in-2018.jpg?w=640&h=320 640w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/meghan-markle-prince-harry-in-2018.jpg?w=768&h=384 768w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/meghan-markle-prince-harry-in-2018.jpg?w=1024&h=512 1024w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/meghan-markle-prince-harry-in-2018.jpg?w=1536&h=768 1536w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/meghan-markle-prince-harry-in-2018.jpg?w=1200&h=600 1200w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/meghan-markle-prince-harry-in-2018.jpg?w=120&h=60 120w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/meghan-markle-prince-harry-in-2018.jpg?w=150&h=75 150w” sizes=”(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px”><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | Yui Mok/WPA Pool/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id=”h-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-announced-lilibet-s-title-in-her-christening-announcement”>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced Lilibet’s title in her christening announcement</h2>
<p>On March 8, 2023, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared that they had christened their daughter Lililbet Diana. Their press representative shared a statement to <a href=”https://pagesix.com/2023/03/08/prince-harry-meghan-markles-kids-now-have-royal-titles/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Page Six</a>.</p>
<p>“I can confirm that Princess Lilibet was christened on Friday, March 3, by the bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, the Rev. John Taylor,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Page Six. The event was held at the couple’s home in Montecito, CA. </p>
<p><a href=”https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-prince-harry-daughter-princess-lilibet-christened-california/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>People Magazine</a> reports the couple extended invitations to senior royals <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/royal-photographer-king-charles-punishing-prince-harry-meghan-markle-attacks-darling-camilla-parker-bowles.html/”>King Charles III, Camilla Parker Bowles,</a> Prince William, and Kate Middleton. However, none of them attended the intimate home celebration.</p>
<p>After their grandfather became monarch following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in Sept. 2022, Archie and Lilibet were afforded the titles of prince and princess. This rule was under King George V in 1917. </p>
<p>The children did not receive the titles when they were born because they were great-grandchildren of the monarch. However, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children did receive titles due to <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/body-language-expert-observes-prince-harry-uneasy-around-prince-william.html/”>William’s status as the firstborn son </a>of the king of the United Kingdom.</p>
<p>Per the website <a href=”https://royalcentral.co.uk/uk/what-are-the-1917-letters-patent-187092/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Royal Central</a>, King George V wrote a letters patent in 1917, which stated the following. “The children of the sons of any sovereign shall always hold and enjoy the style title or attribute of royal highness. With their titular dignity of prince or princess prefixed to their respective Christian names or with their other titles of honor.”</p>
<h2>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released a statement defending their children’s ‘birthright’ to use these official titles</h2>
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>It was such a privilege to celebrate the 1st birthday of Lilibet with my family and hers! Joy and face painting all around <img src=”https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72×72/2764.png” alt=”❤” class=”wp-smiley” style=”height: 1em; max-height: 1em;” />?? <a href=”https://t.co/bg3RY6MOEu”>pic.twitter.com/bg3RY6MOEu</a></p>— Misan Harriman (@misanharriman) <a href=”https://twitter.com/misanharriman/status/1533914137201459208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>June 6, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
<p>In a statement, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared information as to why their children now have formal royal titles. They 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.”</p>
<p><a href=”https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-prince-harry-children-royal-titles-king-charles-prince-archie-princess-lili/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>People Magazine</a> reported Harry and Meghan decided their children’s royal would be adopted only in formal situations. They stated they will not be used in everyday settings.</p>
<p>The <a href=”https://www.royal.uk/succession” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>royal family’s official website</a> was updated to reflect the children’s new titles. Prior, it referred to the children as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor. They are now named Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.</p>
<h2>This change contradicts the couple’s prior wish that their children not have royal titles</h2>
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<div class=”jetpack-video-wrapper”><iframe loading=”lazy” title=’Oprah With Meghan And Harry First Look | “Almost Unsurvivable”‘ width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/y7LJrh5UTr4?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<p>When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s son Archie was born, he was entitled to the courtesy title of Earl of Dumbarton. However, the couple reportedly rejected that title for fear of Archie being teased as he grew older.</p>
<p>During the couple’s 2021 <a href=”https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a35757569/archie-prince-royal-title/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>interview with Oprah Winfrey</a>, they discussed using titles for their children. At the time, Meghan was pregnant with a daughter Lilibet.</p>
<p>“They were saying they didn’t want him to be a prince or princess, which would be different from protocol, and that he wasn’t going to receive security,” Meghan said. “This went on for the last few months of our pregnancy where I was going; hold on for a second.”</p>
<p id=”mntl-sc-block_1-0-46″>Meghan then said she would have accepted a title for Archie if it “meant he would be safe. And it’s not our decision to make. “Even though I have a lot of clarity of what comes with the titles, good and bad, that is their birthright to make a choice about then.”</p>
<p>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been invited to King Charles III’s <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/princess-diana-astrologer-predicts-meghan-markle-fighting-spirit-king-charles-coronation.html/”>May 6, 2023 coronation</a>, which falls on their son’s birthday. However, they have not formally responded to the royal invitation.</p>
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