IT can be confusing which members of the royal family are entitles to titles are who are not.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had a say in their son Archie’s royal title.
What is Archie’s official title?
When Archie was born in 2019, it was reported that Meghan and Harry chose not to use a courtesy title for their new boy.
Instead, he was simply known as Master Archie after his parents decided not to give him one of the Duke of Sussex’s lesser titles, the Earl of Dumbarton.
This signalled the couple wanted their child to be a “private citizen” and not have an official royal title.
However, the Duchess of Sussex revealed to Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 that she was upset over a lack of title for Archie.
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Archie Mountbatten-Windsor will receive a new royal title in the futureCredit: Getty Images – Getty
She alleged that Buckingham Palace actively tried to alter the rules so that when Charles becomes king, that Archie isn’t made a prince.
However, after the passing of Queen Elizabeth on September 8, 2022, her son Charles succeeded the throne and became the new reigning monarch of the country – meaning Archie would be granted a new royal title.
His Majesty agreed to issue letters patent to confer Archie will receive the title of prince in the future, alongside his sister Lilibet who will receive the title of princess.
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His Majesty, has agreed to issue letters patent to confer Archie will receive the title of prince in the future, alongside his sister Lilibet who will receive the title of princessCredit: Alexi Lubomirski
However, Meghan and Harry’s baby boy will not be called His Royal Highness – thanks to his great-great-grandparent.
King George V introduced a rule in 1917 which means their baby would need special permission from the King to receive HRH status.
Only the eldest son of the Queen’s first born, King Charles, is entitled to be a HRH – no younger sons or daughters.
But this decision reportedly left Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ”furious” and concerned over security issues.
A source said: “Harry and Meghan were worried about the security issue and being prince and princess brings them the right to have certain levels of royal security.
“There have been a lot of talks over the past week.
“They have been insistent that Archie and Lilibet are prince and princess.
“They have been relentless since the Queen died.
“But they have been left furious that Archie and Lilibet cannot take the title HRH.
“That is the agreement — they can be prince and princess but not HRH because they are not working royals.”
Becoming a prince or princess does not automatically mean royals have police protection.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s security – for example – is no longer paid for by the taxpayer.
The Sussexes are said to have pointed out that princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have HRH status but they are not working royals.
A spokesman for the King declined to comment.
Harry and Meghan agreed not to use their His and Her Royal Highness titles when they moved to the United States, two and a half years ago.
Despite Royal protocol, in December 2012, before Prince William and Kate Middleton had their first born Prince George, the Queen used the Letters Patent so she could give all of their children an HRH title.
This is because George is in line for the throne, and the Queen had to intervene to also give the title to Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The Letters Patent is a method that allows the sovereign to give orders without involving Parliament.
Archie is seventh in line to the throne, behind his dad.
He will remain ahead of any other children Harry and Meghan have in the future, again regardless of gender.
Their son is the Queen’s eighth great-grandchild.
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Archie was born in 2019
When was Archie born?
Meghan gave birth to a healthy boy, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, at 5.26am on May 6, 2019.
Meghan and Harry beamed as they introduced their “amazing” baby boy to the world.
The new parents appeared tired but ecstatic as they cradled their infant, with giddy bearded dad Harry joking his son “already has facial hair”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s low-key announcement at Windsor Castle was in stark contrast to Kate Middleton and Prince William’s post-birth experiences, which saw hundreds of photographers snapping pictures of their three children hours after they were born.
And the Sussexes kept Archie swaddled in a white blanket and hat as they described their little boy.
New mum Meghan, then aged 37, stunned in a white dress as she stood by grinning new dad Prince Harry, then aged 34, who cradled their little boy.
She gushed over her little boy, saying: “It’s magic.
“It’s pretty amazing. I have the best two guys in the world, so I’m really happy.”
And she said that the infant already had the “sweetest temperament” – adding “he’s the dream”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released their baby son’s birth certificate, showing that Meghan was listed as a “princess”.
Archie’s birth was registered on Friday, May 17, 2019, revealing the couple had their baby at London’s Portland Hospital, a private hospital favoured by celebrities wanting a money-no-object birthing experience.
