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Vassia Barba & Daniel Hall

Delay in giving Harry and Meghan's children Prince and Princess titles - but King promises imminent update

Two of the youngest members of the Royal Family are expected to receive the titles of Prince and Princess imminently.

Archie and Lilibet, the children of the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, are due to receive the titles of Prince and Princess as all Royal Family members move one step up the line of succession after the Queen passed away on Thursday, the Express reports. The titles of senior royals such as Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge have already been changed on the royal website to reflect their new titles.

William has inherited his father's title to become Prince of Wales, while Kate Middleton is the first to be known as the Princess of Wales since Princess Diana. However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children remain plain Master Archie and Miss Lilibet on the website, though they are now technically Prince and Princess since their grandfather Charles has become King.

Read more: Harry and Meghan reunite with William and Kate to view floral tributes at gates of Windsor Castle

A spokesman for the Palace said the website will be updated with new titles "as and when we get information." Neither their parents nor Buckingham Palace have yet confirmed whether the three-year-old and his one-year-old sister will use the titles.

The King's spokesman said the monarch had announced William and Kate's titles as the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as expressing his love for Harry and Meghan in Friday's address to the nation.

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex view the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022 (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

The spokesman said: "While the website was updated for the Waleses, clearly updating love on a website doesn't quite work so we've not quite done that but clearly he does love them. We will be working through updating the website as and when we get information.

When asked whether Archie and Lilibet would be bestowed the titles of prince and princess, the spokesman said: "At the moment, we're focused on the next 10 days and as and when we get information, we will update that website."

It was suggested in 2021 that Charles would prevent Archie from becoming a prince when he became monarch in a bid to limit the number of key royals. However, that is an unlikely move as it would be considered greatly damaging to his relationship with the Sussexes.

Prince and Princess of Wales with the Duke & Duchess of Sussex looking at Floral Tributes and meeting well wishers at Windsor Castle (Steve Reigate)

If her were to do so, a Letter Patent amending Archie's right to be a Prince and Lilibet's right to be a Princess would have to be issued. The pair technically remain a Prince and Princess at present with the style HRH, whether or not their parents choose to use the titles.

In Harry and Meghan's interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, Meghan argued that Archie was not given the title of prince because of his race. However, when Archie was born seventh in line to the throne in May 2019, he was too far down the line of succession.

Although a great-grandchild of the monarch, as he was not the first-born son of a future king, he did not automatically become a Prince. The Sussexes were pictured alongside the Waleses on Saturday for the first time since 2020, when they met well-wishers and viewed floral tributes outside Windsor Castle.

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