Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's two children could receive titles from King Charles but not without a caveat, according to a royal expert.
The decisions to offer royal titles to Archie, aged three, and Lilibet, aged one, has been a contentious subject since Queen Elizabeth II died last month.
Katie Nicholl, who recently published The New Royals, said that Charles could "insist" that any titles given would come with strings attached to try and keep the California-based pair in check, reports the Express.
Ms Nicholl told Palace Confidential podcast: "But if that did happen, it is going to come with a caveat.
"He is going to insist that Harry and Meghan are respectful of the institution if they are taking the titles of the institution.
"That is very important to him."
She said that "titles matter to Charles " and the new monarch will not hand them out freely.
Speculation has risen that Charles could follow the model laid out by Denmark's Queen Margrethe, who recently stripped her grandchildren of their royal duties and titles.
Queen Margrethe stripped all those not in direct line of accession of HRH titles.
The royal author claimed constitutional experts, "who I spoke to for this book, the likes of Peter Hennessy and Doctor Ed Owens" all saw "this pattern of the British monarchy moving into a sort of European-style royalty".
Ms Nicholl added: "And if that is the case, then possibly they're not going to get these titles."
Charles is understood to have long desired a stripped-back monarchy and with a reduced number of working royals as well as royal titles.
This comes after reports last week that Charles "hasn't decided" whether or not to allow Archie and Lilibet to use their new titles.
The indecision is "heightening tensions" with Meghan and Harry, according to The Times, as the Duke and Duchess "fear the King may strip Archie and Lilibet of their titles".
After the Queen's death, Lilibet and Archie could automatically have been granted prince and princess titles as they are the offspring of the monarch's son.
