When the Queen died it was reported that Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s two children, Archie and Lilibet, became a prince and princess – but King Charles III could change that.
Royal tradition dictates that the grandchildren of a monarch automatically inherit the titles of prince and princess, so with Charles as king Archie and Lilibet are entitled to the titles.
However, both of the children are still listed without titles on the official royal website, where they’re named in the line of succession as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex with their two children, Archie and Lilibet.
(Image: Duke and Duchess of Sussex)Royal author Katie Nicholl has revealed that the King could bar the children from taking up the prince and princess titles, or at least limit how they use them.
.jpg?resize=380%2C285)
She claims he is waiting to see how the Duke and Duchess behave in the first few months of his reign before making any decisions about their children’s titles.
“It depends a lot on what happens in the coming months, particularly with Harry’s book and their TV show,” she told Vanity Fair.
The couple currently have a deal with streaming giant Netflix and are understood to have a documentary series in the works, though few details have been confirmed.
Royal authors claim King Charles is waiting to see how the Duke and Duchess behave in the first few months of his reign.
(Image: Getty)Meanwhile the King’s son, Harry, is planning a “tell-all” memoir about his upbringing and life in the royal family, which could spark renewed tensions between him and the royals.
The book was slated for release in late 2022 but has been pushed to an early 2023 publication date in the wake of the Queen’s sudden death in September.
While the exact contents of the memoir are not yet public, it’s believed Harry’s relationship with his father would be a central feature.
Harry previously claimed that the King “stopped taking [his] calls” around the time he and Meghan quit the royal family in 2020, comments that were said to have hurt Charles deeply.
He also implied that he took issue with his father’s style of parenting in his 2021 docuseries with Oprah Winfrey, though insisted there was “no blame”.
“When it comes to parenting, if I have experienced some form of pain or suffering because of the pain or suffering perhaps my father or my parents suffered, I’m going to make sure that I break that cycle so that I don’t pass it on,” he said at the time.
“There is a lot of genetic pain and suffering that gets passed on anyway. As parents we should be doing the most that we can to say, ‘You know what, that happened to me, I’m going to make sure that’s not going to happen to you.'”
WATCH: King Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry march at the Queens funeral
Now the King is waiting to see how Harry and Meghan handle the first months of his reign before officially bestowing the prince and princess titles upon their children, according to reports.
An inside source clarified to Vanity Fair that Charles’ “love for Harry is unconditional” and any decision about Archie and Lilibet’s titles would not be intended as a slight against his son.
After all, in his very first speech as sovereign the King made his love for the couple clear, saying: “I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas.”
