Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children have officially been recognised by the King as a prince and princess.
The royal family’s official website has been updated to reflect the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s children’s new titles, for Archie, three and 21-month-old Lilibet.
The youngsters became a prince and princess on the accession of their grandfather the King six months ago, but the Sussexes publicly used Lili’s title for the first time on Wednesday when they announced the little girl’s christening.
Archie and Lili, previously listed as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, are now on the royal.uk line of succession page as Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.
Prince Harry told the King of his desire for his children to use the titles during conversations between them when Harry returned from his home in California to the UK in September for the late Queen’s funeral.
Royal sources insisted the King had no intention of not allowing the children to use the titles, to which they are entitled as the grandchildren of the monarch, although one insider noted how Harry’s chats with his father “conveniently” occurred before the publication of his bombshell memoir Spare which he released in January.
Across a six part Netflix series with wife Meghan and the release of his explosive book, Harry referred to the King as an “old man”, the Queen Consort as a “villain” and his brother Prince William as a bully.
The Sussexes are understood to have invited the King, the Queen Consort and the Prince and Princess of Wales to Lilibet’s christening last Friday several weeks in advance.
However, one royal source confirmed: “The diaries of the senior members of the royal family are planned several months in advance.”
Archie and Lilibet Diana, named after the late Queen’s nickname and Harry’s mother Princess Diana, are sixth and seventh in line to the throne, having already moved up a place each after the death of Her Majesty.
A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said yesterday: “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.”
Title rules set out by King George V in 1917 mean Archie and Lili, as the children of a son of a sovereign, automatically became a prince and a princess when Charles became King.
It was previously reported in 2021 that Charles, in a bid to limit the number of key royals, intended, when he became monarch, to prevent Archie becoming a prince.
To do so, he would have to issue a Letters Patent amending Archie’s right to be a prince and Lili’s right to be a princess.
The latest saga revolving around the titles comes amid deep fractures in the Sussexes’ long-troubled relationship with the royal family.
Meghan said in the couple’s 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.
Archie was entitled to have another title as a baby.
As the first born son of a duke, Archie could have become Earl of Dumbarton - one of Harry’s subsidiary titles - or have been Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.
But a source at the time said Harry and Meghan had “chosen not to use a courtesy title”.
Lili was entitled to be Lady Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, but this title was never used.
Lilibet was christened in an intimate ceremony at the Sussexes’ family home in California on Friday, watched by her grandmother Doria Ragland and celebrity godfather Tyler Perry.
The “alignment” on the titles has given rise to suggestions Harry and Meghan will attend the King’s coronation in May, which also falls on Archie’s fourth birthday.
Bookmakers Coral said the Sussexes were now odds-on at 4-6 to witness the historic spectacle, flip-flopping from 4-6 to not attend before the titles announcement.
A Coral spokesman said: “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are being tight-lipped about their attendance at King Charles III’s coronation in May.
“Our betting suggests the couple will attend and take their seats for the official ceremony at Westminster Abbey on May 6.
“We think this could be an olive branch towards the couple from Buckingham Palace.”
Odds they will not be present stand at 6-5.
Buckingham Palace is making plans for Harry and Meghan to attend the King’s coronation on May 6.
Last month it emerged that the royals were “fully expecting” the Sussexes to attend, despite fractious relations between them and the family.
