Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's statement on son Prince Archie's sudden royal title change
Archie is celebrating his seventh birthday todayPrince Archie still holds a royal title despite his parents stepping back from their working royal roles six years ago.
Archie is celebrating his seventh birthday today (May 6), with the young royal expected to spend the occasion with his family at their home in California.
Since his birth in 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle initially chose not to use a princely title for their son, only adopting it publicly following his younger sister’s christening in March 2023.
When did Archie and Lilibet get prince and princess titles?
At that time, a spokesperson for the Sussexes said Archie’s use of the title reflected his “birthright” as one of King Charles’ grandchildren.
The spokesperson added that both Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet would now use princely titles following Charles’ accession to the throne in September 2022.
Until then, the siblings were known as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, and they remain sixth and seventh in line to the throne.
After Lilibet’s christening in March 2023, the Sussexes’ spokesperson 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.”
Royal rule over titles
Archie and Lilibet became entitled to use the style of prince and princess when the king acceded to the throne. The change stems from rules set out in Letters Patent issued in 1917 by King George V.
Don't miss a single story! Add us as a Preferred Source in Google for all your royal news
That decree established that the monarch’s children, male-line grandchildren, and the eldest son of the Prince of Wales are entitled to princely status, forming the basis of the modern approach to royal titles.
Royal historian Marlene Koenig has described the 1917 Letters Patent as effectively having “established the current system of who is royal and who is not”.
Despite the use of royal titles, Archie and Lilibet’s official family name remained Mountbatten-Windsor, as recorded on their birth certificates. The surname is used by descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, combining the royal family’s house name, Windsor, with the Duke of Edinburgh’s adopted surname, Mountbatten.
As Archie turns seven, attention again returns to the balance between tradition and personal choice within the modern royal family, reflected both in the use of titles and the continued use of the Mountbatten-Windsor surname.
Archie and Lilibet’s futures
Archie and Lilibet’s futures will likely be very different to that of their cousins George, Charlotte and Louis’ royal destinies.
George, 12, will one day be king. He is currently second in line to the throne behind his father Prince William.
Former royal butler and commentator Grant Harrold previously shared his thoughts on Archie and Lilibet’s future.
View this post on Instagram
‘They would be expected to undertake royal duties’
Speaking on behalf of Slingo, Harrold said: “As grandchildren of the king, it was always intended that one day Archie and Lilibet would be titled Prince and Princess, but this would still have to be with the king’s approval.
“Archie and Lilibet’s futures were always going to see them in the spotlight, regardless of titles. However, with their titles, it shows they are still seen as senior members of the royal family, which in my view is something the new king and Queen Consort are happy with.
Read more: Meghan Markle teases ‘renewing vows’ with Prince Harry ahead of eighth wedding anniversary
“As ‘normal’ senior members of the royal family, they would be expected to undertake royal duties by the time they reach their twenties, as was the case with their father.
“This would be to support their grandfather if he was still King, or possibly their uncle, Prince William. As their father has stepped down from royal duties, this would be a decision that would be taken in years to come.”
What do you think of this story? Leave us a comment on our Royal Insider Facebook page and let us know.
