The Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed yesterday through a source that they had baptized their daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in Los Angeles, and that source close to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle referred to the little girl in a statement as “Princess Lilibet Diana “. Created the confusion and controversy, because the website of the British royal family is not given that consideration, Buckingham has come out to the step ensuring that the website will be updated in due course.
This reveals the intention of King Carlos III that all his grandchildren bear the title of princes despite the resignation and the revelations of the Dukes of Sussex that have generated so much scandal around the British Crown. According to some London tabloids, the monarch would have already informed Prince Henry of his decision in a private conversation after Elizabeth II’s funeral.
This movement has been seen as a new rapprochement, but the truth is that Archie and Lilibet would have entered the history books if they were not considered princes after the coronation of Carlos III. A 1917 royal patent granted by King George V, Elizabeth II’s grandfather, states that “the children of any sovereign and the children of the sovereign’s children shall at all times have and enjoy the title of Royal Highness, with the title of Prince or Princess before their respective given names or their honorary titles”.
While the then Prince Charles and the Dukes of Cambridge (now Princes of Wales) had their treatment changed immediately after the death of Elizabeth II, this was not the case for Archie and Lilibet. This Thursday, a source close to the Sussexes has confirmed that “children’s titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch. This matter has been resolved for some time in line with Buckingham Palace.”
It remains to be seen whether or not this title of princes is accompanied by the treatment of Royal Highness, since the Dukes of Sussex lost it in the resignation and the situation would arise that the children would have a higher rank than the parents within the British royal family. It’s clear that they don’t spend all day curtsying to each other over their house in Montecito. And that the title of princes will only be used in formal settings. But no matter how queen of her house Meghan Markle is, in her she will be the only one without the title of princess.
The announcement of this consideration for Archie and Lilibet also reopens the debate on who will pay for their escort when they visit the United Kingdom, something that Prince Harry still defends because he believes that after the resignation he should be protected like any other member of the Windsors. At the moment, Meghan and Enrique’s children are still listed on the royal.uk website as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.
It is expected that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will travel to London again to attend the coronation of Carlos III, which will be on May 6. The couple visited the British capital for the last time at the funeral of the prince’s grandmother on September 19. Due to their few trips, it has been decided that the couple permanently leave Frogmore Cottage, the house they renovated and only occupied for eight months.