Someone grab Archie and Lilibet their crowns because they could someday inherit the title of prince and princess!
How one may ask? Well, the children are legally allowed their royal labels once grandfather Prince Charles takes on the role of the monarch after Queen Elizabeth II‘s reign. Based on current guidelines, the great-grandchildren of the crown aren’t considered princes or princesses — except for the kiddos of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales. This basically is why we call Prince William and Kate Middleton’s little ones Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Related: AWW! Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s Son Archie ‘Is Very Happy To Have A Little Sister’!
It’s all just so complicated, right?! The rule was established by King George V, who issued the Letters Patent in 1917 that read:
“The grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of dukes of these our realms.”
So when Charles becomes king, Archie and Lili are legally entitled to be called prince and princess! However, this still all depends on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who could decide to forgo the luxury.
It’s crazy to think that’s even an option for the parents since they made such a fuss over their 2-year-olds title in their explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this year. When Archie was not given a formal title, many folks assumed the couple wanted him to have a normal life — but that turned out not to be the case. Meghan admitted to Oprah:
“They didn’t want him to be a prince or a princess, which would be different from protocol. It was really hard … This went on for the last few months of our pregnancy where I’m going, ‘Hold on a second. How does that work? … If he’s not gonna be a prince, he needs to be safe.’”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex then insisted the lack of title had been a racist decision made by the institution, saying:
“All around this same time, we had in tandem the conversation of he won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title, and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.”
However, a palace spokesperson previously told Us Weekly how there was a “protocol,” explaining:
“The palace says it’s nothing to do with race. Under royal protocol established by King George V, only those in the direct line of succession to the throne get the titles prince or princess … Archie would’ve been given a title when Prince Charles became king.”
As we said, there’s still a chance for the tiny tots in the future! And when the shift happens, the entire line of succession will also change again. Following Lilibet’s birth, some royals actually got bumped down the list — including Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and Princess Anne. Take a look at the current line of succession now that the newborn is here (below):
- Prince Charles
- Prince William
- Prince George
- Princess Charlotte
- Prince Louis
- Prince Harry
- Archie Mountbatten-Windsor
- Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor
- Prince Andrew
- Princess Beatrice
- Princess Eugenie
- August Brooksbank
- Prince Edward
- James, Viscount Severn
- Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor
- Princess Anne
- Peter Phillips
Of course, there are others in line, but we doubt they’ll ever come close to seeing the throne. It must suck to be so close yet so far, huh! Anyways…
Reactions to Archie and Lilibet possibly being a prince and princess in the future? Do you think Meghan and Harry will have them ditch the titles? Let us know in the comments (below)!
[Image via MEGA/WENN]
The post OMG! There Is Still A Chance Archie & Lilibet Could Become PRINCE AND PRINCESS! appeared first on Perez Hilton.
