Many royal watchers were left wondering whether Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who very openly left the royal family two years ago, would give their children the titles of prince and princess after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

Any grandchild or great-grandchild of the queen is eligible to receive royal titles under more than century-old regulations.

Archie Harrison, age 3, and Lilibet “Lili” Diana, age 1, were too far down the line of succession to automatically be entitled to royal titles while Harry’s grandmother was in power.

The queen, who shares the same name as young Lilibet, could have changed that but chose not to, much to the dismay of Harry and Meghan fans.

Archie and Lilibet, as King Charles III’s grandchildren, would typically receive new honorifics; however, it is unclear if they have received them as of yet.

“I’d anticipate a clarification of the circumstances. It hasn’t,” noted Sunday royal analyst Richard Fitzwilliams.

Archie and Lilibet, who are sixth and seventh in line to the throne, respectively, were referred to as “Master” and “Miss” rather than “Prince” and “Princess” on a list of people in line to replace the queen released by Buckingham Palace.

This increased rumors that Charles, who has previously declared he wants the monarchy’s ranks to “thin down” around a core group of full-time working royals, may defy tradition and refuse to bestow royal titles on his grandchildren.

The Washington Post contacted the palace on Sunday but did not receive a response right away.

When the couple claimed that the royal family treated their firstborn child, Archie, differently, including by denying him the title of prince, the question of Archie and Lilibet’s status gained new urgency last year.

Meghan, whose mother is Black, suggested that this action was motivated by institutional racism within the monarchy.

Harry’s great-great-grandfather, King George V, published a legal decree known as Letters Patent in 1917 that established who was eligible to use the titles of prince or princess and HRH, his or her royal highness, and the regal trappings that go along with them, such as monetary compensation and patronages.

When Harry and Meghan retired into more private lives and relocated to North America, they agreed with the royal family to give up their HRH titles. The family has relocated to a $14.7 million house in Montecito, California, as The Post has revealed.

The 1917 document states that “the grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes of these Our Realms” (with the exception of the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales).

As a result, only Prince William’s eldest son, Prince George, had the right to use the term “his royal highness” during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte, the siblings of George, were given HRH titles thanks to a patent she filed.

Fitzwilliams stated that Archie and Lilibet “should’ve been offered [royal titles]” upon Charles’ ascension to the throne.

During her pregnancy with Archie, Meghan learnt that Buckingham Palace “didn’t want him to be a prince or a princess” and that “he wasn’t going to receive security,” according to what she revealed in her interview with Winfrey.

Meghan stated that she was worried her boy would be less safe if he didn’t have the complete security she believed came with a royal title due to the intense media scrutiny her and her family were subjected to.

In addition, she denied allegations in the media at the time that she and Harry had decided not to grant Archie the title of prince.

When asked why she believed the royal family had not made Archie a prince, Meghan responded that discussions regarding Archie’s lack of a title and “how dark his complexion might be when he’s born” were taking place “in parallel.”

According to Fitzwilliams, “the suggestion was that they weren’t given titles and that was related to racism.” “That was really hurtful.”

Fitzwilliams said that not all royals accept titles, and even if they are, it’s unclear whether Harry and Meghan would want their offspring to inherit them.

Princess Anne, Elizabeth’s daughter, decided against granting Peter and Zara HRH titles. She discussed her choice in a 2020 Vanity Fair interview.

She asserted, “I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that having titles has drawbacks. Therefore, in my opinion, you did the right thing.

Being a titled member of the royal family has many benefits, but a significant drawback is the lack of privacy that comes with having a higher social rank in the eyes of the media and the general public.

Fitzwilliams added: “On the other side, if Harry and Meghan are very concerned about this matter, as it seems on Oprah they were, [that Archie and Lilibet] be offered them] is of course very crucial since that’s the 1917 edict.

He continued, “Of course that would be perceived as a major snub” if they weren’t given titles. If they were and they chose not to take them, that is their personal decision.

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