The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have declared it is their children’s ‘birthright’ to be called prince and princess. l REUTERS/ANDREW KELLY
THE Duke and Duchess of Sussex have declared it is their children’s “birthright” to be called “prince and princess”.
Prince Harry, 38, and his wife Meghan, 41, who have son Archie, three, and 20-month-old Lilibet, called their daughter a princess for the first time on Wednesday after they confirmed she had last week been christened during an intimate ceremony at their home in California.
A spokesperson for the couple, who quit royal duties in 2020 as part of their “Megxit” deal for a new life in America, 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.”
King Charles, 74, is understood to have told Harry that his children would be allowed to be called prince and princess in a “private conversation” after the Queen’s funeral last year.
The move is being seen as an “olive branch” to the couple amid the rift between them and the royal family following the couple’s accusation it was racist and the publication of Harry’s tell-all “Spare” memoir.
A source told the Daily Mirror: “The appropriate conversations took place ahead of Lilibet’s christening.”
Harry and Meghan are said to want to give Archie and Lilibet the chance to decide for themselves whether to drop or keep using the royal titles when they get old enough to make their decision.
The kids became “prince” and “princess” when Charles acceded to the throne, but have remained “master” and “miss” on the Buckingham Palace website for the past six months since the death of Queen Elizabeth aged 96 in September.
The Palace has confirmed the site’s line of succession table will be updated to reflect the change in the children’s titles.
A royal source also told the Mirror: “As the duke and duchess have now confirmed this, the website will be updated in due course.”
When Archie was born in May 2019, he was seventh in line to the throne so was too far down the line of succession.
Even though he was a great-grandchild of the monarch, he was not a first-born son of a future king, so was not automatically a prince.
Lilibet, due to turn two in June, had around 30 guests at her christening on Friday. Members of the royal family, including Charles, Queen Consort Camilla, as well as Prince William and his wife Kate, were reportedly invited, but they turned down the offer to attend.