Looks like controversies and rifts never fail to die down in the British royal family. A few weeks ago, after a picture of Meghan Markle using her Her Royal Highness (HRH) title on a note for her friend went viral on the internet, she faced much backlash from people. Why? Because when Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal duties in 2020, they had agreed to stop using their HRH titles. And so, when the Duchess of Sussex used her HRH title in the note, she was accused of misusing it for personal gain.Thinking on these lines, the latest buzz is that Prince William is reportedly planning to strip Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children— Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet— of their HRH (His/Her Royal Highness) titles once he ascends the throne. The move comes after reports, initially highlighted by The Guardian and later The Daily Mail, suggested Harry wants to keep the HRH titles for his children so they can choose later in life whether they want to take on royal roles.Royal insiders were reportedly shocked. “William obviously isn’t going to make Archie and Lilibet working royals,” a friend of the prince told The Daily Beast. “This feels more like trolling from Harry and Meghan. Thinking a baby’s HRH status guarantees them a future royal job is just unrealistic.”
What does HRH really mean?
For the unversed, the HRH label isn’t a title, but a formal royal style granted by the monarch. It holds no legal power but carries major symbolic weight in the royal family. Harry and Meghan agreed to stop using the HRH style after stepping down from royal duties in 2020—an agreement reached during the Sandringham Summit with Queen Elizabeth II.However, royal sources claim Meghan has continued using the style privately and even allows others to refer to her as HRH—something one former palace staffer described as “a betrayal of the Queen’s trust.”Now, sources close to Prince William suggest he might issue new letters patent (official royal decrees) to formally remove the HRH styling from Harry’s entire family. “They’ve been asked politely to stop using the style, but that hasn’t worked,” one insider said. “This likely won’t be tolerated much longer.”Experts note that the monarch has the full authority to revoke HRH status at any time. “It’s like an executive order,” said former government minister Norman Baker. “William may restrict HRH privileges only to the children of the reigning monarch when he becomes king.”For Harry and Meghan, losing the HRH styling for their children would be largely symbolic—but still painful. Harry has reportedly wanted his kids to have the option of a royal future.As one palace insider bluntly put it: “King Charles may avoid direct conflict, but William is furious with Harry and Meghan. And when William becomes king, he won’t hold back.”
