Will Harry and Meghan's Children Get Royal Titles?

After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry and Meghan's children Archie and Lilibet technically became a prince and princess.

A decree issued by King George V in 1917 limits the titles of prince and princess to children of the monarch, children of the monarch's sons and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales.

But questions remain about whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children will inherit the titles since the couple stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and stopped using their HRH designations.

Since Elizabeth's death on Thursday, the order of succession has been updated on the royal family's website. William, now next in line to the throne, has become the Prince of Wales while his wife has become the Princess of Wales.

But while Harry's children have moved up to sixth and seventh in the line of succession, they are still listed as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor as of September 11. Buckingham Palace has yet to clarify their status.

In an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Meghan said the royal family had discussed changing the convention so that a royal title would be denied to Archie when Charles became king. Newsweek previously reported that the discussions were based on Charles' long-standing vision of a slimmed-down monarchy.

Meghan implied that it might be a case of "the first member of color in this family not being titled in the same way that other grandchildren would be." The interview took place before Lilibet was born.

The monarch has the power to amend the rules, and Meghan noted that Elizabeth had decreed in 2012 that all the children of Prince William and his wife, not just the eldest, would be princes and princesses.

Meghan also expressed concerns that without a title, Archie would not receive security.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement at the time the "issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately."

However, Meghan and Harry could also choose not to have their children inherit the royal titles.

Princess Anne's children were not automatically entitled to royal titles, but she and her husband reportedly declined an offer of titles from the queen.

Prince Edward, the queen's youngest son, became Earl of Wessex when he married, and his children are styled as children of an earl.