Harry and Meghan’s Children Become Prince and Princess With Queen’s Death

The death of Queen Elizabeth II dictates that Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, the sons of Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, become princes, at least until King Charles III decides to change the protocols – if he wishes.

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey last year, Meghan claimed that Archie was not a prince because he had been denied the title because of race.

Harry’s wife said she was shocked when she was told Archie would not have police protection because he didn’t have the title and suggested the decision was related to racist attitudes: “There were a lot of concerns and conversations about how dark his skin would be when born,” the former actress told Oprah.

In this same interview, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed that they had expected Archie – at the time, Meghan was pregnant and Lilibet had not yet been born – to be given the title of prince when Charles ascended the throne, but that they had been told the protocols would go ahead. be changed according to the wish of the future king, who wanted to form a smaller royal house with fewer members. For this reason, Archie would not have the title of Prince or His Royal Highness.

In accordance with the protocols established by King George V of the United Kingdom in 1917, the children and grandchildren of a British sovereign automatically receive the title of His Royal Highness and of Prince or Princess. When he was born, Archie was, however, the Queen’s great-grandson. But to prevent him from becoming a prince, King Charles III would now have to issue a Letter Patent rectifying his right to become a prince, applying the same procedure to Lilibet.

When asked by Oprah if Archie being a prince was important to her, Meghan replied simply: “If it means he would be safe, then of course.”