Meghan Markle’s use of her “HRH” styling has renewed the conversation about royal titles — and if she and Prince Harry may lose theirs following their step back from their roles.
Despite reports that Prince William plans to remove his brother and sister-in-law’s titles when he becomes king, the British monarch’s power on the matter is limited.
Queen Elizabeth granted Harry and Meghan the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their 2018 wedding day, and the removal of a dukedom would require legislative action through an act of Parliament.
However, that has the possibility to change. In recent years, there have been discussions about introducing legislation that would grant the monarch or a parliamentary committee the power to remove royal titles. The “Removal of Titles Bill” was proposed to provide such authority, but it has not been enacted into law.
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Meghan Markle and Queen Elizabeth in June 2018
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Despite stepping back from their working royal roles in 2020, Harry and Meghan retained their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, which are reflected on the royal family’s website and across their ventures.
Speaking to PEOPLE in a recent exclusive interview, Meghan described “Sussex” as her “shared name” with Prince Harry and their children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.
“It’s our shared name as a family, and I guess I hadn’t recognized how meaningful that would be to me until we had children,” she said. “I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me.”
While the couple continues to use their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, Prince Harry and Meghan agreed not to use their “His/Her Royal Highness” styling after their step back from royal life. However, a photo emerged of a gift basket that Meghan gave to a friend with a note reading, “With compliments of HRH the Duchess of Sussex,” set beneath Meghan’s royal cipher. PEOPLE understands that while they retained the styling, Meghan and Harry do not use their HRH titles for public or commercial ventures. The note, from more than a year ago, was part of a personal gift rather than a business-related endeavor.
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King Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on Christmas in 2018
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According to The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, a professional association for barristers in England and Wales, the “HRH” honorific would be the easiest for a British sovereign to remove.
“At present, the Sussexes (like Prince Andrew, Duke of York) have agreed not to use the appellation while they have abandoned royal duties, but it is clear that it could be withdrawn by the King, a decision that would not be amenable to judicial review,” Master Graham Zellick, a professor of public law and tribunal judge, wrote. “In any case, removal of the honorific on the basis of giving up the role of a working member of the royal family and living abroad could hardly be faulted.”
By birthright, Harry is also a prince. This title is conferred by letters patent and is not usually subject to removal.
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