Prince Harry's 'nonsense' plan for kids amid 'nail in coffin' decision
Royal expert Jennie Bond has questioned Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's reported plan they've hatched for the future for their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may no longer be working royals or carry out duties for the King. But the couple reportedly don't want to rule out their children opting to support the monarchy, despite their bombshell move to quit their royal roles.
Insiders close to the Sussexes have said they want Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to retain their titles and HRH styles so they can choose to become working royals if they so wish when they are adults. It came after the source spoke out and claimed the Sussexes feared passports for their children were being held up due to the use of their royal titles.
â
â
The couple are said to have been left exasperated as they waited months for British passports to arrive and reportedly believed it was due to the fact they included their children's royal titles on the application. But former BBC royal expert Jennie Bond has questioned why Harry and Meghan appear so keen to cling onto titles for their children - even though they have previously railed against the institution of monarchy.
She told the Mirror : "I really donât understand why, having extricated themselves from a life they did not enjoy and in which Harry has publicly spoken of 'feeling trapped', they want to give their children the option of re-joining. It makes no sense.
"Who knows whatâs going to happen in the future? But itâs very hard to see how two children who are clearly now more American than British would want to change their whole way of life and become working members of the royal family."
Article continues below
Archie and Lilibet got prince and princess titles when their grandfather King Charles became monarch in 2022. The first time their titles were formally announced was after Lilibet's christening in March 2023.
Due to the reported hold-up in their British passports, it is said that Harry started to explore the possibility of changing his family surname to Spencer in a nod to his late mother, Princess Diana.
â
And Jennie added: "I think Harry has always been more Spencer than Windsor, so if he was ever going to change his name, it would be to Spencer.
"But this would be a final nail in the coffin of his relationship with his father and his brother. It would amount to a public declaration that he no longer saw himself as part of the royal family."
There has been continued controversy over the Sussexes' HRH titles since the pair quit their royal roles five years ago. As part of their Megxit negotiations with the Palace, Meghan and the Duke of Sussex agreed to stop using âHer Royal Highnessâ and âHis Royal Highnessâ at the end of March 2020. They still retain the styles, with Harry having had his since birth, but they are essentially held in abeyance.
â
However, earlier this year, it emerged Meghan had used her HRH style on a gift basket sent to make-up entrepreneur Jamie Kern Lima last year, with a monogrammed card reading: âWith Compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussexâ.
Kern Lima showed an image of the present in footage of her podcast interview with Meghan. It contained a jar of Meghanâs jam which she has started selling as part of her As Ever lifestyle business brand.
Article continues below
A source described the basket as a âpersonal giftâ. The duchessâs representatives denied that the couple used them, but a source later said that the Sussexes did not use HRH publicly but retained the style, and did not use it for commercial purposes.
WHATSAPP GROUP: Be first to get the biggest royal bombshells and exclusives to your phone by joining our Royal WhatsApp here.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you donât like our community, you can check out any time you like. If youâre curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
NEWSLETTER: Or sign up to the Mirror's Royal newsletter here to get all the biggest royal news and exclusive pictures, straight to your inbox.