His younger sister, Lilibet “Lili” Mountbatten-Windsor, is also eligible to become a princess after the Queen’s death and with her grandfather, the Prince of Wales, to become king. Rules laid down by King George V in 1917 mean that Archie and Lily – as children of a sovereign’s son – also have an HRH style if they choose to use it. In 2021, it was suggested Charles – in an attempt to limit the number of key royals – intended, when he became monarch, to prevent Archie becoming a prince. To do this, he would need to issue a Letters Patent that would amend Archie’s right to be a prince and Lili’s right to be a princess. Until that happens, or if it doesn’t, Archie and Lily remain prince and princess, whether their parents choose to use the titles or not. Meghan claimed in the Sussexes’ 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 well down the line of succession. Although he was a great-grandson of the monarch, he was not the first-born son of a future king, so he was not automatically a prince. He may have previously used the courtesy title Earl of Dumbarton or was Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. But Buckingham Palace said the Duke and Duchess had made a personal decision that it should be plain Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. A royal source said after Archie’s arrival that the couple had chosen not to give him a courtesy title “at this time”. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with baby Archie (Dominic Lipinski/PA) (PA file) Meghan also told Oprah that when she was pregnant with Archie, an unnamed member of the royal family had sparked “concerns and discussions about how dark his skin might be when he’s born”. The Sussexes stopped using their own HRH styles after stepping down as senior royals for life in Los Angeles, and there were later calls for the duke and duchess titles to be removed. If Harry and Meghan decide that Archie and Lily will be known as prince and princess, it will directly contradict how Harry has always talked about the burden of holding a title. He has repeatedly stressed the importance of wanting to be seen as normal and confessed in 2017 that he once “wanted to leave” the royal family – a wish that came true in 2020. The ex-soldier said his time in the army, when he was “just Harry”, was “the best escape I’ve ever had” and had considered giving up his title. Royal author Penny Junor said: “He would have loved to have been a normal boy growing up and found his title very difficult.” Harry, or simply Captain Wales as he was known in the army, on a tour in Afghanistan (John Stillwell/PA) The Duke is close to his cousins ​​Zara Tyndall and Peter Phillips and may have taken their experiences into account. Junor added: “He looked at Zara and Peter and it was a lot easier for them than for him. “He was constantly in the spotlight. His friends were targeted whenever he did something wrong or misbehaved in any way. “We didn’t know anything about Zara or Peter when they were growing up because they were ordinary kids who went to ordinary schools and weren’t treated in any special way.” Zara, who was raised as Miss Zara Phillips, was ineligible to become an HRH because she was born in the female line as a descendant of a sovereign’s daughter. He has talked about how not having a title has been a blessing. “I was very lucky. My parents didn’t give us titles, so we managed to have a slightly more normal upbringing. Once you have a title, it’s very difficult to lose it,” he said. The daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise Windsor, and his son, Viscount Severn, as children of a monarch’s son, were allowed to be known as princess and prince. But Edward and Sophie, with the Queen’s permission, decided to use the courtesies of an earl. Meghan said that she and Harry wanted Archie to be a prince so he would be safe and protected. But being a prince or princess doesn’t automatically mean the royals have taxpayer-paid police bodyguards, and the Sussexes chose to live in the US. Archie is technically the first ever Prince of Sussex and Lili the first Princess of Sussex. The previous 19th-century Duke of Sussex – an eccentric son of King George III – had both his marriages declared illegitimate. His mistress, Lady Augusta Murray, was not the Duchess of Sussex, and his illegitimate son was the commoner Master Augustus Frederick d’Este. However, Lady Augusta was constantly referred to as Duchess and Princess, and the staff called her son Prince Augustus and her daughter Princess Augusta. Eventually Archie will have the right to succeed Harry as Duke of Sussex.