The decision by the UK Parliament to officially reject the titles of prince and princess for Archie and Lilith marks a significant development in the ongoing saga surrounding the royal family.
When Archie, the son of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, was born in 2019, he did not receive an official royal title, contrary to expectations. This was in line with a protocol established over a century ago by King George V, stipulating that only grandchildren of the monarch through the male line would automatically inherit the title of prince or princess. As the great-grandson of the Queen, Archie did not meet this criterion. However, there was anticipation that once Prince Charles ascended to the throne, Archie would be formally designated as Prince Archie.
However, the situation took an unexpected turn when the Sussexes welcomed their daughter, Lilith Diana, last year. Once again, she was not granted the title of princess at birth, much to the displeasure of Harry and Meghan. Reports suggested they interpreted this as a deliberate snub orchestrated by the royal family. This sparked internal discussions within the palace about the need to modernize the rules to recognize the Queen's great-grandchildren with titles.
Despite these discussions, Buckingham Palace announced last month that there were no immediate plans to change the existing protocol. This decision followed extensive deliberations between senior royals and members of the UK Parliament, who scrutinized the legal technicalities surrounding the issue. In a surprising move, Parliament has now made an unprecedented ruling, asserting that neither Archie nor Lilith meet the requirements to use the HRH styling or be referred to as prince or princess in an official capacity.
Parliament cited the long-standing convention established by King George V and the position of Archie and Lilith in the line of succession as reasons for their decision. They concluded that the children do not qualify under traditional parameters, and no exceptions could be made. This ruling has left Harry and Meghan reportedly furious, seeing it as a clear rejection of their position within the royal family.
The decision has broader implications, potentially deepening the divide between the Sussex and Cambridge grandchildren for generations to come. It underscores a tension between preserving long-held traditions and modernizing approaches within the monarchy. Regardless of one's opinion, this ruling firmly establishes Archie and Lilith's place without HRH styles or royal titles in the UK.
