Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter, Princess Lilibet Diana, has been christened at the Sussexes' home in California, a spokesperson for the couple has announced.
The spokesperson confirmed that 19-month-old Princess Lilibet was christened on Friday, March 3, by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor. It is the first time the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have used the royal title publicly for Lilibet, who was born on June 4, 2021, in California.
Harry and Meghan’s children, including son Archie, three, became a prince and princess when the King acceded to the throne last year, but remain a plain Master and Miss on the Buckingham Palace website. It is understood the Prince and Princess titles will be used in formal settings, but not in everyday conversational use by the couple.
Harry and Meghan are understood to be keen to not deny their children their birthright, but to allow them the chance to decide for themselves when older whether to drop or keep using the titles.
The rules set out by King George V in 1917 mean Archie and Lili, as the children of a son of a sovereign, are automatically a prince and a princess and also now have an HRH style if they choose to use it. Meghan said in the couple’s bombshell interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey that Archie was not given the title of prince because of his race.
However, when Archie was born seventh in line to the throne in May 2019, he was too far down the line of succession. Although 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.
Buckingham Palace said the royal website “will now be updated in due course” to reflect the titles.
At the time of the late Queen’s death and the King’s accession, a spokesman for the King pledged to update Archie and Lilibet’s names on the site “as and when we get information”.
Lilibet is seventh in the line of succession to the throne, while her older brother is sixth in line.
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