It's no secret that Prince Charles has long dreamed of the idea of a slimmed-down royal family. Concerned with the monarchy's relevancy in today's day and age, Charles has long believed that people would be more supportive of the royal family if it wasn't quite as large of an institution.
Many believe that Charles will make moves to this end when he is in power. It's coming up now, however, because of the recent birth of his fifth grandchild. Meghan touched on the idea that they were told their children wouldn't have titles when she was pregnant with Archie. She mentioned the letters patent, instated by King George V, which ensures that the grandchildren of a monarch have titles.
Now it seems that the Sussexes were correct, as recent reports indicate the Sussexes won't have a place in the slimmed-down royal family model. That means that Archie and Lilibet would never have titles, despite the fact that it has been the case with every grandchild up until them.
Rules and traditions around royal titles will likely change when Prince Charles one day becomes king. The rule in question is the 1917 letters patent, which states that "the grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes of these Our Realms."
King George V put this in place. It's meaning, simply, guarantees that only the oldest son of the oldest son is stylized as His Royal Highness or Prince.
Queen Elizabeth made a move to change that in 2012. In her letters patent, the titles extend to all of the children of the next in line to the throne, guaranteeing Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis their titles. The decree doesn't extend to Prince Harry's children as of yet, but that could change when Charles becomes king.
Meghan Markle hinted that even when Charles becomes king, her children won't get titles. That came during her explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey.
"They didn't want him to be a prince or princess, not knowing what the gender would be which would be different from protocol — and [said] that he wasn't going to receive security," Meghan explained of what she learned during her pregnancy with Archie.
Meghan explained that Harry learned of this through conversations with family members, meaning direct conversations had yet to happen at that time. She said that she knew from her husband's and her own experiences the downsides of a title, but she wished her children would have a choice one way or the other.
"I have a lot of clarity on what comes with the titles, good and bad, and, from my experience, a lot of pain," she shared.
"I wouldn't wish pain on my child, but that is their birthright to then make a choice about."
As it stands, Charles' "slimmed-down" model for the royal family has ruffled feathers beyond his own children. He's fought with Prince Andrew about the subject throughout the years, as the Duke of York wanted assurance his daughters would always be safe. However, those who supported the model that eliminated Charles' siblings didn't imagine he would exclude one of his two children.
For Harry and Meghan, it's never been particularly about the title. Rather, their concern was the expectations upon them and the safety of their child. She used the widely spread idea that she had turned down an official after-birth photo of Archie like those taken of Prince William's children as an example.
"We weren't asked to take a picture. That's also part of the spin," she explained.
"That was really damaging. I thought, Can you just tell them the truth? Can you say to the world you're not giving him a title, and we want to keep him safe, and that if he's not a prince, then it's not part of the tradition?"
It's hard to say which came first, the Sussex drama or Charles' desire to slim down the family in this particular way. What's clear is that how it's been handled has not worked out well for anyone involved.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
