It is reported that Prince Harry and King Charles chose to give Archie and Lilibet new titles after discussions following the Queen’s demise. After discussions late last year, the children of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will now be called Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The titles were first used when Lilibet was christened last week in a small ceremony in California. A spokesperson for Meghan and Harry told Page Six: “I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor.”
Lili was referred to be a princess for the first time in public. It is thought that the 21-month-old will use the title in official contexts but not in regular conversation. Harry and Meg are said to be determined not to deprive their children of their birthright, but rather to give them the option of dropping or keeping their titles when they get older.
Archie and Lili are naturally princes and princesses because they are the children of a sovereign’s son, and they can now dress in an HRH manner if they like. Archie was seventh in line to the throne when he was born in May 2019, hence he was too far down the line of succession.
While he was the monarch’s great-grandchild, he was not the first-born son of a future king and hence was not automatically a prince. The royal website, which currently shows the children as Master Archie and Miss Lilibet, will be altered to reflect the change, according to Buckingham Palace.
That comes as Harry and Meghan are yet to choose whether or not to attend the King’s coronation on May 6. The controversial couple was invited to the historic ceremony in May, but their accommodations are in doubt after they were evicted from Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, Berkshire.
The keys will be handed over to Frogmore, which has apparently been offered to Prince Andrew instead. They won’t have to give up the land until after the King is crowned on May 6, so they may stay there if they choose.
The couple has not been awarded a new permanent house as a consequence of what happened, but it is thought that they will be given a temporary somewhere to stay whenever they visit the UK. These might include suites in Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace, as well as Princess Diana’s old Kensington Palace apartment.
Apart from such visits, Harry and Meghan will live in their nine-bedroom mansion in Montecito, California, with their two children.