The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are living on borrowed time with their royal titles and face the real possibility of being stripped of them when Prince William ascends to the throne, according to a prominent royal biographer.
The Andrew Precedent: A Stark Warning
Royal expert Tom Bower has issued a stark warning to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, stating they are now vulnerable to losing their ducal titles. He points to King Charles's ruthless and unprecedented decision to strip Prince Andrew of his Duke of York and Prince titles as a serious indicator of what the future may hold for the Sussexes.
This dramatic move against the King's younger brother came after further revelations emerged about Andrew's long-standing association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew was also forced to leave his Royal Lodge home of two decades.
For Harry, witnessing his uncle's downfall was an unbelievable shock, Bower told the Mirror. The biographer claims this single act changes everything for the Sussexes, who must now genuinely fear that William will remove their titles, and those of their children, upon his succession.
A Legacy of Betrayals and Future Threats
According to Bower, the couple's repeated actions are seen as betrayals within the royal family, creating wounds that may be too deep to heal. These go far beyond the private revelations in Harry's memoir, Spare.
The most significant breach, Bower suggests, was their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, which occurred a year after they stepped down as working royals. The legacy of that interview, particularly Meghan's accusation of racism within the institution, continues to echo. The threat of the couple launching similar public attacks in the future is considered a risk too great for the future King to tolerate.
Bower highlights the couple's financial situation as a potential catalyst for further action. With neither Meghan nor Harry making serious money, in his view, the danger is that they might do something foolish and damaging to the monarchy to generate income.
The Controversial Use of a Royal Title
Another major point of contention has been Meghan's use of her title. When the couple quit royal duties, they agreed with the Palace to stop using their HRH styles but could retain the titles. However, Meghan's actions have repeatedly tested this agreement.
In April of this year, she sent a personal gift to IT Cosmetics founder Jamie Kern Lima with a card that read, With the Compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussex. This sparked immediate questions about whether she was violating the terms of their exit.
The debate was reignited more recently when a journalist from Harper's Bazaar described a peculiar encounter. Upon arriving for an interview, the house manager reportedly announced, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, despite them being the only people present.
Tom Bower asserts that the title is a great trading asset for Meghan, which she uses ruthlessly to bolster her status as a businesswoman. He claims that the reality of titles being removed only sank in for her after Andrew's demotion. Without the titles, he questions, who is she?
Ultimately, Bower believes that while King Charles is unlikely to act, the decision will fall to Prince William. He concludes that stripping the Sussexes of their titles is inevitable, a necessary step to undermine Meghan's commercial use of her status, even if it may appear like sour grapes. The couple, he says, are on borrowed time.
