Meghan Markle will always have a royal title no matter what happens, even though she stepped back from the Royal Family six years ago. When she married Prince Harry in May 2018, she became the Duchess of Sussex, the Countess of Dumbarton and Baroness Kilkeel.
Since the Sussexes' decision to step down in 2020, there has been ongoing debate over whether the couple should still use their Duke and Duchess titles as they are no longer working royals. Meghan retains her title and has recently moved back to the UK for an extended period so her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, can attend school in their father's home country.
What happens if the titles are removed
If Meghan were to lose the use of the title, she would be able to use another style, according to royal expert Ingrid Seward, Editor in Chief of Majesty Magazine. Speaking to The Royal Beat, she said she does not believe the couple will lose the titles.
She said: "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... That really would [confuse the Americans]."
Palace approach to the titles
Seward added: "I think it’s probably best just to leave it because it looks unkind and unnecessary. [Queen Elizabeth II] gave them the titles, let them keep them - they’re going to be ‘H and M’ anyway. I think the best thing is to leave them, ignore them, and let them get on with it - which is really what the Palace and the Royal Family are doing."
When Prince Harry was born in 1984, it was announced that King Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, had named their second son Prince Henry Charles Albert David, but that he would be known as Harry. By marrying a prince, Meghan can take a princess title, but only with her husband's name. The same applies to the Princess of Wales, who was technically Princess William as well as the Duchess of Cambridge when she first joined the Royal Family in 2011, until September 2022.
Archie's title decision
Prince Archie is entitled to be styled as the Earl of Dumbarton, his father's subsidiary title, in line with royal tradition, though he does not use it. According to a report in The Telegraph, the new parents did not want their son to be known by a title that contained the word 'dumb'.
The paper reported: "They didn’t like the idea of Archie being called the Earl of Dumbarton because it began with the word ‘dumb’ [and] they were worried about how that might look." A second source added that it was not just Meghan's concern, but that it "also bothered Harry."
