Meghan Markle would be known as “Princess Henry” if she lost her title – but it’s unlikely to happen, one royal expert told Fox News Digital.
Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di for Daily podcast, said that stripping the Sussexes of their royal titles would take more than a decision from the House of Windsor.
“A lot of us feel like Harry and Meghan take advantage of their titles and would like to see them stripped of them, but that’s not a conversation that has happened between King Charles and Prince William in years,” Schofield claimed.
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Meghan Markle would be known as “Princess Henry” if she ever lost her royal title. (Samir Hussein/Getty Images)
“Technically, and Charles and William know this, if you strip Harry and Meghan of the Duke and Duchess title… they would revert to being Prince and Princess Henry. The prince title cannot be removed. That is Harry’s birthright. It would take an act of Parliament and that is simply not a priority for them at this time.”
“You will still see Harry and Meghan utilizing the prince and princess titles, which are almost more marketable in the United States,” Schofield added.
Schofield’s comments came shortly after Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, told The Royal Beat that it’s unlikely the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be stripped of their royal titles.
Meghan Markle, an American actress, portrayed Rachel Zane for seven seasons of “Suits.” (Shane Mahood/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
“I don’t think anything will happen to the titles because, if they lose their titles, Harry is still a prince of the blood, and Meghan instead of being the Duchess of Sussex, [would] be Princess Henry,” said Seward, as quoted by U.K.’s Mirror.
“That really would [confuse the Americans],” said Seward. “I think [it’s] probably best just to leave it because it looks unkind, it looks unnecessary.”
Meghan, 42, a former American actress, became the Duchess of Sussex when she married the British prince in 2018.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married in 2018 and share two children: Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. (BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)
Harry was born Prince Henry Charles Albert David. If Meghan lost her title as Duchess of Sussex, she would be called Princess Henry, Seward explained. She noted it’s royal tradition for a princess to take an official title with her husband’s name.
The same rule applies to Kate Middleton, the New York Post reported. She was technically known as Princess William when she married the prince in 2011. She is referred to as the Princess of Wales.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s occupations on their son Prince Archie’s U.K. birth certificate were listed as “Prince” and “Princess of the United Kingdom,” although Meghan does not have a princess title, People magazine previously reported. The couple’s occupations weren’t listed on their daughter Princess Lilibet’s California birth certificate, the outlet reported.
On Monday, People magazine reported that the couple kicked off a pre-birthday bash for Lilibet in California. The princess turns three on June 4.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020. They reside in California. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
King Charles and Prince William have reportedly been considering stripping Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of their titles – but several royal experts also told Fox News Digital they weren’t buying that claim.
Royal author Tom Quinn recently claimed to the U.K.’s Mirror that the monarch and his heir “have had lengthy discussions” about the move, but the pair are said to be “terrified this would backfire and make the situation worse.”
“The last thing they want is to give the renegade royals something else to complain about,” Quinn claimed.
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Meghan Markle was last seen in the U.K. when Queen Elizabeth II passed away. (Getty Images)
Christopher Andersen, author of “The King,” told Fox News Digital that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex won’t be losing their titles anytime soon, despite stepping back in 2020 and moving to California.
“Long ago Queen Elizabeth made it clear that Harry and Meghan would keep their titles but not be addressed using the HRH honorific – the same punishment that was meted out to Princess Diana after her divorce from Charles,” Andersen explained. “There is no earthly reason why the king and Prince William would now consider stripping Harry and Meghan of their titles entirely.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex call the wealthy, coastal city of Montecito home. (Reuters)
“The Sussexes simply are not on their radar – they are an issue that King Charles and Prince William think is pretty much resolved,” he shared. “Think of what they have on their plate – principally dealing with the cancer battles now being waged by both the king and Princess Kate. With the monarch’s official birthday coming up, everyone is focusing on that right now – not on what’s going on in Montecito.”
King Charles left The London Clinic on Jan. 29 after undergoing a corrective procedure for a benign prostate enlargement. It was during this procedure that it was discovered he had cancer. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
“If the King were to do anything right now that smacked of punishing his younger son, it would just seem so petty and vindictive,” Andersen continued. “What could be the point at this juncture? King Charles and Prince William have made it crystal clear what they think of Harry and any potential rapprochement – they are not interested.”
Harry, who has a strained relationship with his family, rushed to London in February for a very brief visit after the king, 75, was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer.
Prince Harry attended his father’s coronation ceremony without Meghan Markle. (Ben Stansall)
Harry, 39, has seen his father infrequently since the prince quit royal duties and headed to the West Coast with Meghan, citing what they said were unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. He has since detailed his rocky relationship with his family in TV interviews, a documentary and a memoir, “Spare.”
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Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare” was published in January 2023. (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
William and Harry, who were once close, have been estranged since the Sussexes made their royal exit. During the king’s coronation in May, the brothers were never seen speaking or even acknowledging each other.
In “Spare,” Harry alleges that his older brother, 41, attacked him. He also singles out his stepmother, Queen Camilla, accusing her of leaking private conversations to the media as she sought to rehabilitate her image after marrying Charles.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after being crowned on May 06, 2023, in London, England. (Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)
Shortly after his last quick trip to London, Harry told “Good Morning America” that he thought his father’s illness could help bring his family closer.
Several royal experts told Fox News Digital it’s unlikely that King Charles would be in favor of stripping the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s royal titles. (Getty Images)
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that the king and Prince of Wales reportedly “feel indifferent” towards the couple.
“No doubt the king and Prince William have had quiet discussions about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle behind closed doors, but their current drive is keeping well and positive for their families and their life of service,” Chard explained.
Queen Elizabeth II (seen here with Meghan Markle), England’s longest-reigning monarch, died in 2022. She was 96. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
“They don’t want to enter into any unnecessary drama and are aware that removing Harry and Meghan’s Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles – titles given to them by the late Queen Elizabeth II… will look petty. Prince Harry will always be a prince. If their titles are removed, they will be known as Prince and Princess Henry. Funny enough, this would give them more credence. However, as Prince Harry and Meghan are no longer working members of the royal family, it would be considerate if they exhibited magnanimity and dropped their titles.”
MEGHAN MARKLE, PRINCE HARRY AT RISK OF HAVING ROYAL TITLES CHALLENGED BY PARLIAMENT LEADER, EXPERT CLAIMS
It would be up to Parliament to determine whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be stripped of their titles, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. (AP)
Like Schofield, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital that the decision to remove the couple’s titles would go to Parliament, not the king.
“There is no chance of this,” he insisted. “This would allow Harry and Meghan to cast themselves as wronged victims… It would make ending the royal rift, which is desirable however long it takes, impossible. The king would never begin such a process. If Harry were to decide to become an American citizen, the matter of whether he could keep his title, which he already has, might become something of a cause célèbre. American citizens cannot have titles conferred on them, but what if they already have them, as he does? It could go to the Supreme Court.”
Prince William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey. (Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images)
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner also told Fox News Digital it wouldn’t make sense for the king to consider stripping his son’s royal title now.
Both the king and the Princess of Wales are currently battling cancer. (Getty Images)
“At a time when the King and his daughter-in-law Kate are battling cancer, I would have thought creating dangerous precedents like this which heap petrol on the fire would be seen to be petty, vindictive and petulant,” he said. “They should be focused purely on their recovery. What has caused this anyway? What other royal secrets could come out? What are the royal family so concerned about? Only time will know.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.