The King was said to be in discussion with Prince William about the possibility of stripping the Duke and Duchess of Sussex if their titles.

King Charles has been “in discussions” about stripping Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of their titles, according to sources. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s titles have proved controversial after the couple stepped down from their roles as working royals.

Following their move to the US, the Palace faced calls for the couple to have their titles stripped. According to sources, this has been a topic of discussion for King Charles in recent weeks, with Prince William having “lengthy” conversations with his father about it.

The Sussexes proudly sat in chairs labelled “Duke” and “Duchess” during their recent tour of Nigeria and were said to be “delighted” their royal titles were on display.

Speaking to the Mirror, royal author and expert Tom Quinn said the King and Prince William “have had lengthy discussions about stripping Meghan and Harry of their royal titles, but they are terrified this would backfire and make the situation worse”.

King Charles has had ‘discussions’ over stripping Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s titles (Image: Getty)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle used their titles on their recent trip to Nigeria (Image: Getty)

Mr Quinn added: “The last thing they want is to give the renegade royals something else to complain about. William and his father know that even without their royal titles, Meghan and Harry would carry on travelling the world as if they were royals and most people in the world will still welcome them.”

When the couple stepped back from their roles as senior working royals in 2020, they kept their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles but were no longer referred to as his or her royal highness.

Earlier this year, the Sussexes doubled down on their association with the Royal Family when they relaunched their website, calling it Sussex.com and using their royal titles, as well as and imagery of a coat of arms.

The website features a picture of the couple overlaid with the text: “The Office of Prince Harry & Meghan, The Duke & Duchess of Sussex.”

The landing page also includes their credentials, short descriptions, as well as news about their activities such as their recent Nigeria trip.

But while the topic has been discussed, Mr Quinn thinks Charles is hesitant to strip the titles over fears of backlash. He added: “The last thing they want is to give the renegade royals something else to complain about.

“William and his father know that even without their royal titles Meghan and Harry would carry on travelling the world as if they were royals and most people in the world will still welcome them.”