The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s children, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet ‘Lili’ Mountbatten-Windsor, are entitled to be a prince and princess respectively following the death of Queen Elizabeth II aged 96.
Now that Harry’s dad Charles is king, his and Meghan’s little ones have an HRH title, thanks to rules set out by King George V in 1917.
Archie and Lili are now the children of a son of a sovereign, so can technically use the prince and princess titles, if their parents so choose.
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King George V declared over 100 years ago: “The grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes of these Our Realms.”
As it stands, the royal succession is as follows - Prince Charles (who is now king), Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince Harry, and Master Archie.
The Duke of York, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie also follow.
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The royal family and Buckingham Palace announced Queen Elizabeth II’s death aged 96 on Thursday (8 September) in a series of statements.
The royal family wrote on Twitter: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."
Soon afterwards, Buckingham Palace released a statement that read: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and Queen consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and return to London tomorrow.”
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In his own message, King Charles III said: “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all my family members.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.
“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”
The death of the Queen marks a monumental moment of history: having ascended to the throne in 1952 aged just 27, she was the longest reigning British monarch, as well as the longest-serving female head of state ever.
Topics: Royal Family, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, The Queen