Prince Harry and Meghan's children Archie and Lilibet now a prince and princess, as a number of royal titles change

King Charles III vows "lifelong service" in first address


London — Archie and Lilibet, the children of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have become a prince and princess after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. When they were born, the two children were too far down the line of succession to be given those titles under rules set out by King George V in 1917.

Archie was given the title Earl of Dumbarton when he was born. He could have had the title of lord, but his parents chose for him to be called Master Archie instead, according to Buckingham Palace. They have not said whether the children will use their new royal titles.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor are seen during their royal tour of South Africa, September 25, 2019, in Cape Town. Toby Melville/Pool/Getty

It is possible for King Charles III, the new monarch, to change the rules set by his predecessor to take the HRH (his/her royal highness) — the prince and princess titles — away from his grandchildren, but veteran royal correspondent and CBS News contributor Roya Nikkhah said it was unlikely he would do so.

Other members of the royal family have also had their titles change after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Charles, obviously, has become King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. As such, will go by "His Majesty" rather than "His Royal Highness."

Camilla, King Charles' wife, has become the queen consort. She will be referred to as "Her Majesty" rather than "Her Royal Highness." A queen consort is different from a queen regnant, like Queen Elizabeth II, for instance, who rules in her own right.

During King Charles' first address to the nation, he also announced that he had passed the title of Prince of Wales — traditionally given to the heir to the throne — to William. The transfer of that title is not automatic.

Prince William, formerly known as the Duke of Cambridge, has also become the Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge, inheriting the additional title from his father. As the Duke of Cornwall, he is entitled to millions of dollars a year that are the net surplus from the Duchy of Cornwall landed estate that his father owned.

Prince William and Kate Middleton relocate from London to Windsor cottage

Kate, formerly the Duchess of Cambridge, is now the Princess of Wales, a title last held by William's mother Princess Diana. Camilla was also technically the Princess of Wales before the queen's death, but she never used the title because of its association with Princess Diana.

William and Kate's children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, will now be known as princes and princess of Wales.

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Lilibet.

f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.