Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were no longer to be addressed by their “HRH” titles following their decision to distance themselves from official Royal responsibilities, as per the agreements reached between the couple and the Royal Family back in January 2020. These titles were traditionally used as a mark of respect for princes, princesses and their partners.

“The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family,” the Daily Express quoted the Royal Family website as stating.

The Royal Family website had not been entirely updated following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last September and the subsequent crowning of King Charles III in May. This led to various discrepancies in the titles and designations of family members. For instance, Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, were still referred to by their previous titles while Prince William and Kate Middleton were listed under their previous dukedom titles.

The Royal Family website, as per Buckingham Palace’s earlier response to this issue, encompasses an extensive compilation of facts concerning the Royal Family’s activities and existence, comprising more than five thousand pages. The palace underlined that, after the demise of Queen Elizabeth II, there had been an ongoing process of periodically reevaluating and renewing the content.

Prince Harry’s profile has also been shuffled lower on the website’s landing page. The profiles of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex can now be found beneath those of the active working Royal Family members. This reshuffling of the profiles coincides with the loss of Prince Andrew’s “HRH” title and his associated roles due to allegations of sexual abuse, which he has denied.

Is Harry still fifth in line to the throne?

Prince Harry, however, remains fifth in line to the throne, preceded by Prince William and his three children. The recent updates on the Royal Family website also extended to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children, Archie and Lilibet, who were named the Prince and Princess of Sussex in alignment with a historic decree issued by King George V.

Updated: 09 Aug 2023, 09:32 AM IST