One of the reasons why Harry and Meghan decided to move to the US was to have more privacy. But while they haven’t been that private about speaking about their past – for example, through the Netflix series aired last year and Harry’s book, Spare – their family life has been kept relatively secret.
Harry and Meghan have barely posted any pictures of their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, but in the Netflix series last year, fans finally got to see some insight into what the two young children look like.
It’s been about ten months since then, and as everyone knows, children grow up quickly. Maybe that is why so many reacted when a new photo of Archie was shown in Harry’s latest Netflix documentary, Heart of Invictus. And it has people talking.
Prince Archie turned four on May 6, the day his grandfather, King Charles II, was crowned King. However, he wasn’t the only one who was bestowed with a new title this year.
In early March, Lilibet Diana, who turns two in June, was christened by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor. Her name is now Princess Lilibet Diana. In a statement not long after, Harry and Meghan said they believe the princess title is her “birthright.” The same then also went for Archie, who became Prince.
Archie and Lilibet are now princes and princesses
Lilibet’s christening occurred privately at the Sussexes’ home in Montecito, California, with around 20 to 30 people in attendance, as reported by the Mirror.
“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,” a spokesman for the couple said.
The Royal Family’s website has been updated accordingly – Archie and Lilibet are now listed as Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.
The fact that Archie and Lilibet now bear the titles of prince and princess has confused many. Meghan spoke about the subject during the infamous Oprah interview shortly after she and Harry relocated to the States.
“They were saying they didn’t want him to be a prince or princess, not knowing what the gender would be, which would be different from protocol,” she said.
In 1917, George V created the rules still in place today. He decided that the children of the sons of any Sovereign “shall have and at all times hold and enjoy the style title or attribute of Royal Highness with their titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to their respective Christian names or with their other titles of honor.”
More simply explained, the monarch’s grandchildren have the right to the titles ‘His Royal Majesty’ and ‘Her Royal Majesty’. However, this does not extend to great-grandchildren.
Yet, one reported exception is the children of the eldest son of the heir. That is why the children of Prince William and Kate Middleton – the Prince and Princess of Wales – were given the royal titles Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis while Queen Elizabeth was still alive.
Archie and Lilibet became eligible for their royal titles after the Queen passed and Charles became monarch. So, irrespective of any circumstances regarding Harry and Meghan, the children are entitled to them.
“Won’t be using it in everyday life”
As per the Daily Mirror, Harry and Meghan are understood not to want to deny their children their birthright. Instead, it’s their wish that Archie and Lilibet can decide if they wish to keep or drop their titles when they are older.
Archie and Lilibet will most likely not use their royal titles daily. Instead, they will probably be reserved solely for formal settings.
“It wasn’t clear if they would use them or not since Harry and Meghan have left the family as working royals and headed to the States,” TalkTV‘s Royal Editor Sarah Hewson told Sky.
“We understand discussions took place after the Queen’s funeral and it has been agreed that they will be known formally as prince and princess – although Harry and Meghan won’t be using it in everyday life.”
Harry and Meghan have been very outspoken about their life within the royal sphere. However, critics argue their penchant for talking about the royals – for example, in their Netflix, Spotify, and book deals – is simply so they can earn money.
Meanwhile, the couple have made sure not to have their children’s photos taken, nor do they post pictures of them on social media. However, in the Netflix documentary released in December, Harry and Meghan showed some insights into Archie and Lilibet’s childhood.
But while Archie and her sister are living a great life in sunny California, the truth is that they are far, far away from their cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, in the UK.
It’s now known whether they have all met. But according to the Mirror, Harry and Meghan reportedly had the opportunity to make it happen for the holiday seasons.
Archie lost out on the opportunity to meet royal cousins
As reported by the Mirror, King Charles invited them to spend Christmas with the British Royal Family at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk in 2022. However, Harry and Meghan reportedly turned down the invite, as their relationship had hit “rock bottom.” And that was even before Harry had released his tell-all memoir, Spare.
“This book could spell the end for any relationship Harry wants to have with his family, it’s desperately sad. Everyone is bracing themselves for yet another fraught and frantic period at the mercy of the Sussexes,” one insider claimed.
Princess Eugenie is said to be one of the few royals who still has a good relationship with Harry and to have visited them in California. Meanwhile, Eugenie also has children on her own, which could mean play dates in the future.
“Harry and Eugenie have always been close ever since they were children. He always makes her laugh. They share a sense of humor,” a source told the Daily Mail.
“She is friends with Meghan too and was close to his two previous girlfriends, Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas. It was Eugenie who helped set up Harry and Cressida. She refuses to abandon him. She is a very loyal lady, she is not one for taking sides.”
The fact that Archie and Lilibet are so far away from their UK royal family might become a sad issue in the future. At least that is what Paul Burrell, Diana’s former butler, is saying.
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will be “cast out,” according to Diana’s former butler
Speaking to the Mirror, Burrell states that if Harry tells stories about Archie and Lilbets’ grandmother, Princess Diana, in the future, they will be confused and possibly even irritated.
“I think that Archie and Lilibet will say, ‘Well why aren’t we part of that world? We’re prince and princess, and we should be part of the royal family.’” Burrell said. “That’s a big question for your children to ask you when you decide you don’t want to be part of that world.”
Moreover, according to the former butler, Meghan is not speaking to her family – except for her mother, Doria Ragland – which is also a problem. It means Archie and Lilibet won’t have much family, and it’s “unfair” that they have been “cast out.”
“I think it’s unfair in many ways that the children have been cast out, as well as the parents,” Burrell continued. “Because the children didn’t choose to be cast out. The parents chose for them.”
“What Harry and Meghan have done is deny them of their heritage,” he added. “And I think that by the time they’re 18, they’ll turn to Meghan and Harry and say, ‘Why weren’t we part of that? Why didn’t we experience that? Why don’t we know our cousins? Why don’t we know this world, which is half ours? There comes a dilemma.”
Harry and Meghan’s son Archie was born at The Portland Hospital in London on May 6, 2019. As with the birth of any royal child, it was a monumental occasion – but Harry and Meghan decided to approach things a bit differently.
According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, Harry was obsessed with not giving the media details of his son’s birth. In her book The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown, Nicholl described Harry as “almost morbidly obsessed” with keeping Archie’s birth as secret as possible.
New picture of Prince Archie
However, with millions of loyal fans and most of the public seeking information about the little boy, the longing for secrecy was ignored as it was a beach of the “unwritten contract between the royals and the public.”
“Behind the scenes, matters were so fraught that more than one official — as I know from personal experience — was reduced to tears of frustration and despair,” Rebecca English, royal editor of the Daily Mail, added.
Archie was born at the Portland Hospital in London, not St. Mary’s, which has been the royal tradition. Meghan had her doctor working there, and the Sussexes were told the place would make photos impossible due to safety considerations around the entrance.
Fortunately, Archie does not have to worry about cameras or paparazzi photographers, even though he was seen in his parents’ Netflix documentary series last year.
But, just last week, royal fans around the world got to see a new picture of Archie in Harry’s new documentary about the Invictus Games, which premiered on Netflix in late August. And it’s safe to say that the young prince is getting older.
In one clip, filmed in Harry and Meghan’s Montecito, the Duke presented the audience with a new photo of Archie. In the photograph, standing on Harry’s desk, the 4-year-old boy was seen holding a toy while dressed in white shoes, a blue jumper with the letter A written across the chest, and gray jeans.
Harry’s speech about Archie in new documentary
It’s safe to say that he looks very much like his father – and will most likely be his double in a few years.
As seen in the documentary series Heart of Invictus, Harry gave a speech to all athletes competing in the 2022 Invictus Games. And he got personal.
At the time, his son Archie had just turned three, and the Duke shared some insights into what his son dreamed of working with in the future.
“To be role models, or the role models that each of you are, takes strength, and it takes courage,” Harry said.
“When I talk to my son Archie about what he wants to be when he grows up, some days it’s an astronaut, other days it’s a pilot – a helicopter pilot. Or Kwazii from Octonauts. If you’re laughing, then you’ve seen that,” he quipped.
Harry laughed as he shared how Archie loves the carton series Octonauts. According to the Mirror, it follows a group of animals serving as a rescue team at sea.
“But what I remind him is that no matter what you want to be when you grow up, it’s your character that matters most, and nothing would make his mum and me prouder than to see him have the character of what we see before us today,” Harry continued.
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