One of the most dramatic points in Prince Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey was the claim that their son would be deprived of a royal title, possibly because of the color of his skin.
Harry and Meghan’s son, seventh in the line of succession to the British throne, is Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. In contrast, the children of Henry’s older brother, Prince William, are Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Meghan said while pregnant “they” – presumably the palace – “said they didn’t want him to be a prince … which would be different from protocol.”
He hinted that this could be the case of the ‘first member of color in this family to not receive a title in the same way as other grandchildren’.
Archie rejected?
Queen Elizabeth II has nine great-grandchildren, including Archie. They are not princes and princesses, apart from the three sons of William, who is second in line to the throne and destined one day to become king.
A decree issued by King George V in 1917 limits the titles of prince and princess to children of monarchs, children of children of monarchs and ‘the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales’ – or Prince George, son of Guillermo.
Bob Morris of University College London’s Constitution Unit said the rule was written to curb the growing number of unwieldy princely titles.
“Queen Victoria had nine children who were all princes and princesses, and then they had children and so on, and George V felt… that something needed to be done to resolve the situation,” he said.
The Queen has the power to change the rules, and in 2012 she decided that all of Prince William and his wife Catherine’s children, not just the eldest, should be princes and princesses.
According to George V’s convention, Archie is not a prince but will become the grandson of a monarch once the current heir to the throne, Prince Charles, becomes king.
In her interview, Meghan said she was told they “want to change the convention for Archie.”
It’s not clear what he was referring to, but Morris said Prince Charles has reported that he “prefers a smaller royal family.”
Archie was eligible for a “courtesy title” at birth, as was Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. At the time, it was reported that Harry and Meghan had decided not to give him a title.
But Meghan told Winfrey that “the decision was not ours.”
Will the title affect Archie’s safety?
Meghan expressed concern that Untitled Archie “would not receive security.”
But a royal title like prince or princess does not automatically carry safety protection. Full-time royals – including Meghan and Harry before moving to North America last year – receive taxpayer-funded bodyguards. Senior members of royalty who have jobs outside the family, such as Princesses Beatriz and Eugenia, daughters of Prince Andrew, do not.
What does the palace say?
Buckingham Palace did not respond to any specific allegations in the interview. In a statement, he said that “the issues raised, especially those of race, are worrisome. While some memories may differ, they are taken very seriously and the family will take care of them privately. “