Prince William and Prince Harry no longer speak to King Charles or Prince William, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still very close to their royal relatives. However, a royal expert claimed that the Prince of Wales allegedly protected his younger brother and sister-in-law from a “very public insult.”
They may be leading a very different life in California from the one they sensationally quit as working royals in the UK. But one thing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have continued to use, despite no longer being part of the working monarchy, is their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles.
The subject of the pair’s royal titles has created controversy in recent weeks, and there has been speculation about whether Prince William might decide to strip them from the couple once he becomes king. While the former working royals are no longer supposed to use their HRH titles for commercial reasons, Harry and Meghan still very much present themselves as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, titles which were gifted to them by Queen Elizabeth II on their wedding day in 2018.
There have been repeated calls from the anti-Sussex camp to strip them of the titles, but no indication that King Charles has any intention of doing so. Yet with William, 42, next in line to the throne, rumours have circulated that he might take a different stance, especially since he and Harry, 40, are no longer on speaking terms and, according to royal expert Jennie Bond, could be estranged forever.
But she warned that it might not be something we ever see happen, especially given the complexity of taking away titles. She told the Mirror: “Granted, there seems to be a public appetite for stripping them of their titles, but I think it’s unlikely that William would choose to do this. It would seem, and in fact would be, quite vindictive. There is also the question of whether a monarch can indeed do this.
“Some titles could be removed on the will of the Sovereign, but the universal view is that to strip someone of their Peerage demands an act of Parliament. Harry became Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron of Kilkeel when he married in 2018.
“And given that there are, in all truth, many more pressing issues, it would be a brave government to enter that field.” Even though King Edward VIII was in exile, he remained a Duke for the rest of his days.
Even though this would be a very depressing state of affairs, William may stay separated from his brother forever. But if he does, I believe he will continue to view Harry as being unrelated to both his life and this country. And I don’t think he would mind if he were to remove either of their titles.
Because they were not the children of Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch at the time, they were not automatically prince and princess at birth. Archie, six, and Lilibet, who turns four next week.
They became Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex, respectively, in the sixth and seventh branches of the line of succession, and they finally received the right in September 2022 when Charles acceded to the throne.
Following a backlash from those questioning the decision, given the couple’s earlier move to distance themselves from the royal family, the Sussex camp released a statement which 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.”
Last month, a podcast video from Meghan’s gift basket, which included a card that read, “With the compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussex,” sparked another title debate. “The Sussex camp’s representatives insisted that the agreement was not violated because they are still permitted to use HRH in private.”
The Sussexes will no longer use their HRH titles because they are no longer active members of the royal family, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace when they resigned from their royal duties in 2020.
Jennie has a suspicion that Meghan and the couple would be “hurt and angry” if William were to remove them completely, given the evidence that Meghan still holds the HRH title. It would, of course, be a very public insult for Harry and Meghan, she said.
They appear very wedded to the idea that their children should use their royal titles, even though they have turned their backs on rejoining the working royals. Meghan, on the other hand, was specifically told not to use her HRH, which she is clearly not averse to.
If theirs were taken from them, I’m sure they would be hurt and enraged. In the end, it would undoubtedly harm their reputation, especially in the eyes of the American public, who seems to be a sucker for royalties. But I don’t believe this will actually take place.
Source: Mirror
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