What will happen to Prince Harry's Duke of Sussex title?

Like many of the Queen’s closest family members, Prince Harry was granted a Dukedom by the Queen when he married Meghan Markle in 2018. The newly-created Duke and Duchess of Sussex got to work immediately after their nuptials, representing the Queen in an official capacity in the UK and abroad. But the couple spectacularly stepped down from their roles in 2020 in favour of a more private life in the US, and they now live in Montecito with their two children Archie and Lilibet.

Did Harry and Meghan lose their royal titles after Megxit?

After stepping down as a working members of the Royal Family, Harry and Meghan retained their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

However, it was decided that the couple would no longer use their HRH titles going forward as they would no longer serve the monarchy in an official capacity.

After a review period, Buckingham Palace confirmed in 2021 that Harry and Meghan would not return to their working royal roles and would therefore lose several of their royal patronages.

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A statement read: “Following conversations with The Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.

“The honorary military appointments and royal patronages held by The Duke and Duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of the Royal Family.

“While all are saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family.”

Harry lost his honorary military titles of The Royal Marines, RAF Honington, Royal Navy Small Ships and Diving, while the Sussexes also lost their associations with The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, The Rugby Football Union, The Rugby Football League, The Royal National Theatre and The Association of Commonwealth Universities.

What will happen to Prince Harry’s title?

As Prince Harry was a grandson of the monarch through the male line, he was eligible for a Prince title from birth.

Harry will not be able to pass his Prince title onto his elder child Archie, however, as he and Lilibet are great-grandchildren of the monarch and are not eligible for HRH or Prince/Princess titles under the current royal rules.

Under the Letters Patent issued by King George V, Archie and Lilibet will be eligible for HRH and Prince or Princess titles when Prince Charles is King, but it remains uncertain whether this will be enacted.

However, Archie is next in line to inherit his father’s Dukedom of Sussex title as it will pass to Harry’s eldest male heir when he dies.

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Archie is technically eligible to use his father’s Scottish title of Earl of Dumbarton as a courtesy, as is the case for Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex’s son James, Viscount Severn.

But the Sussexes announced when Archie was born that he would be styled only as Master Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

As the daughter of a Duke, Lilibet was also eligible to be known as Lady Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, but like her brother she is untitled.

Royal expert Victoria Murphy previously told Town & Country: “As the daughter of a Duke, [Lili] could use Lady before her name just as Archie would have been entitled to use the courtesy title Earl of Dumbarton.

“However, Harry and Meghan have chosen not to use these styles for either of their children when they announced their names to the world.”

Archie and Lilibet are the highest-ranking members of the Royal Family in the line of succession who do not hold royal titles.

source: express.co.uk