Prince Harry & Meghan Can Still Use HRH Titles Despite Deletion From Royal Website
By Fiyin Olowokandi on August 20, 2023 at 4:30 PM EDT
The HRH titles are still valid when addressing Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle! The Duke and Duchess of Sussex can allegedly use the royal honorifics if they wish despite it no longer being used on the Buckingham Palace website.
The speculations about the spouses' relationship with the British Royal family became a trending topic in 2020 when the couple ditched their status as working royals and relocated to the US with their children.
While they have been rumors of bad blood, it seems there is hope for a future without any perceived feud. King Charles III reportedly has no plans of stripping his second son and daughter-in-law of their royal titles.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle's HRH Titles Remain Applicable To Non-Working Royals
In a fiery DailyMail piece, the journalist Ephraim Hardcastle addressed the use of HRH titles for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. According to him, the couple could continue using the royal honorifics even if the Buckingham Palace website does not.
In 2020, the palace issued a statement about Prince Harry and Meghan's lack of HRH titles. "The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family," their message read.
However, Hardcastle refuted their claims as "nonsense." According to the columnist, "The Letters Patent granting the HRH honor have never been annulled," thereby allowing the Sussexes to hold and use their HRH titles if they wanted it.
Regarding the titles being invalidated by being a non-working royal, the journalist pointed out that this was false as several royal family members without duties continue to use their HRH titles. This included the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie.
King Charles III appeared to be in the couple's corner about their royal honorifics, as Hardcastle claimed the monarch had zero intentions to formally amend the rules. These regulations go back decades as they were put in place by the late King George V in 1917.
Although the former heir apparent to the throne would not be stripping the Sussexes of their HRH titles, Charles might not disburse new titles to the non-working couple. Weeks earlier, the British monarch appointed new military positions to nine working members of the royal family.
The palace's announcement read: “Following His Majesty’s Accession, The King is pleased to announce further military appointments for working Members of the Royal Family. The new appointments will continue to reflect the close relationship between the Armed Forces and the Royal Family in His Majesty’s reign.”
Topping the list was the King's first son, William, Prince of Wales. The 41-year-old received the positions of Colonel-in-Chief, The Mercian Regiment; Colonel-in-Chief, The Army Air Corps; and Royal Honorary Air Commodore of Royal Air Force (RAF) Valley.
The heir apparent's wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, was honored with Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards, and Royal Honorary Air Commodore of Royal Air Force Coningsby.
The last title held a special meaning to the mother of three as one of her grandfathers, Peter Middleton, served in the Royal Air Force. In her husband's case, his Royal Air Force title was a tribute to his days as a Search and Rescue pilot at an RAF Valley in Wales from 2010–2013.
Other working royals honored were the King, Queen Camilla, Prince Edward, Sophie the Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Anne, Prince Richard, and Birgitte the Duchess of Gloucester.
The 'Harry & Meghan' Stars Moved Out Of Frogmore Cottage Six Months After Eviction Notice
Before their HRH title drama, the Sussexes appeared to clash with the King over their UK residence, Frogmore Cottage. Charles coincidentally ordered the pair to evict the property after Harry released his bombshell memoir, "Spare."
Although they lived in the US, the couple's former home made it easier for them to travel to the UK. The Duke of Sussex was last spotted on the property while attending his hacking trial case. Nonetheless, a source confirmed the duo had officially packed their bags and moved out of Frogmore Cottage in June, six months after their eviction notice.
The last of their things were shipped to their California home, and the lovebirds returned the keys to the estate. Their goodbyes to the estate were presumably bittersweet as the house was a gift from the late Queen Elizabeth II.
As for Frogmore Cottage's new owner, a specific resident had not been chosen. However, sources claimed King Charles evicted Prince Harry and Meghan to replace them with his disgraced younger brother, Prince Andrew.
