Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Baby Won't Automatically Be a Prince or Princess
This morning Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared the happy news that they're expecting their first child.
Kensington Palace made the official announcement on Twitter, "Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019," reads a tweet released before the Duke and Duchess officially kicked off their royal tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga.
"Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public."
Prince Harry's close relatives like Prince Charles and the Queen were "delighted" to hear Meghan is pregnant, and Meghan's mother Doria even released a statement saying how "happy" she was about the prospect of becoming a grandmother for the first time.
Regardless of whether the baby is a boy or a girl, Prince Harry's child will be seventh in line to the throne, behind his or her father, and will remain ahead of any other children Harry and Meghan have in the future, again regardless of gender.
But he or she won't automatically be a prince or a princess. According to King George V’s 1917 decree, only the oldest son of the Prince of Wales’s oldest son (so Prince George) was entitled to be styled His Royal Highness and a Prince.
But in December of 2012, the Queen issued new Letters Patent, which declared that all of William and Kate's children would hold the title of HRH and would be styled as princes and princesses.
“The Queen has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 31 December 2012 to declare that all the children of the eldest son of The Prince of Wales should have and enjoy the style, title and attribute of Royal Highness with the titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to their Christian names or with such other titles of honour,” reads the official statement.
At this point, that ruling does not apply to Prince Harry's children, and so they will be styled as a Lord or Lady, similar to how Lady Louise's title is currently styled.
That said, the Queen could step in and issue Harry's child a title. But we'll just have to wait and see.
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