After years of bachelorhood, Prince Harry finally married Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel in Windsor back in 2018. The couple’s wedding was the stuff of royal fairytales, and the pair emerged with some shiny new titles courtesy of the Queen. But Meghan also took on a Princess title on her wedding day, though she never uses it publicly.
Why is Meghan Markle a Princess?
Meghan Markle became a Princess of the United Kingdom through her marriage to Prince Harry, but her title reflects her husband’s Dukedom rather than his Prince title.
The Queen gifted her grandson the Duke of Sussex title to mark his nuptials, making him His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex.
A statement from Buckingham Palace at the time read: “The Queen has today been pleased to confer a Dukedom on Prince Henry of Wales.
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“His titles will be Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel.”
As his new wife, Meghan took on the equivalent title of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex.
If Harry had not been given a Dukedom by the Queen to mark his wedding, he would likely have kept his title since birth of Prince Henry of Wales.
As a result, Meghan would have been titled Princess Henry of Wales, just like Princess Michael of Kent is styled.
Why have Harry and Meghan kept their royal titles?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from their royal roles in 2020, and it was announced they would no longer use their HRH styles publicly.
However, the pair have kept their Duke and Duchess titles as these were gifts from the Queen.
Harry was also born a Prince under the Letters Patent issued by King George V in 1917, as Harry is the grandson of the monarch through the male line.
The Sussexes’ children Archie and Lilibet are without any royal titles, however, though Archie will likely inherit his father’s Dukedom of Sussex one day.