Rhiannon Hendricks
Meghan Markle's marriage to Prince Harry in May 2018 led to much speculation about her new title as a member of the royal family. Markle's official title is Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex, as Prince Harry was granted the dukedom of Sussex on their wedding day. Although she will be a princess of the U.K. by marriage, she will not be given an official princess title as only women born into the royal family are officially princesses. However, she can still be referred to as Princess Henry of Wales in reference to her husband.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Title after marriage | Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex |
| Official surname | Mountbatten-Windsor |
| Popularly known as | Princess Meghan |
| Unofficial title in reference to her husband | HRH Princess Henry of Wales |
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What You'll Learn
Meghan Markle will not be Princess Meghan
When Meghan Markle married Prince Harry, she became a member of the royal family. However, her marriage to Prince Harry does not make her a princess. According to royal tradition, only women born into the royal family, like Princess Charlotte, hold that title. Instead, Meghan is now a duchess since Harry, as is tradition, was granted a dukedom on their wedding day.
Markle's official title is Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex. While she will never be a princess in her own right, she may still be referred to by the royal title in reference to her husband, i.e., HRH Princess Henry of Wales.
The reason for this is that, according to the customs of British peerage, a woman takes the title of her husband. So, while Meghan will be a princess by marriage, she is not a British "blood" princess, so calling her Princess Meghan would be incorrect.
It is worth noting that, despite her official title, Meghan may still be known as Princess Meghan by those who are already so enchanted by her.
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Meghan Markle's official title is Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex
Although Meghan Markle will be a princess of the U.K. by marriage, she will not hold the title of Princess Meghan. Only women who are born into the royal family, like Princess Charlotte, officially hold that title. However, she can still technically be referred to by the 'Princess' title if it's in reference to her husband, as in Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Wales.
Despite the fact that she will never be a princess in her own right, Meghan Markle officially became a member of the royal family when she married Prince Harry on May 19, 2018. As a full-time member of the royal family, Markle attended 26 public engagements before the wedding. Her first official engagement after the marriage was on May 22, when she and her husband attended a garden party celebrating the charity work of King Charles III. In July 2018, Meghan's first official trip abroad as a royal was to Dublin, Ireland, alongside Harry.
In February 2022, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, voiced her support for the Supreme Court nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson. In June 2022, she publicly supported Moms Demand Action, an organization that campaigns for safer gun laws in the US.
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Meghan Markle can still be referred to as Princess Henry of Wales
When Meghan Markle married Prince Harry, her official title became Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex. This is because, according to the customs of British peerage, a woman takes the title of her husband. Prince Harry was granted a dukedom on the day of their wedding, as is tradition.
However, despite the fact that Meghan will never be a princess in her own right, she can still technically be referred to by the 'Princess' title if it's in reference to her husband, as in Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Wales. This is because, as the wife of Prince Henry of Wales, she is a princess of the United Kingdom by marriage.
It is important to note that only women born into the royal family, like Princess Charlotte, officially hold the title of Princess. Meghan will be a princess, but she won't be Princess Meghan. This is because she is not a British "blood" princess, so calling her Princess Meghan would be incorrect.
Despite this, in the eyes of the people who are already so enchanted by her, she will probably be known as Princess Meghan the minute the world sees her get married.
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Meghan Markle's surname will be Mountbatten-Windsor
Meghan Markle's marriage to Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, does not make her a princess, as only women born into the royal family, like Princess Charlotte, hold that title. Instead, Meghan is now a duchess, and her official title is Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex. She will never be a princess in her own right, but she may still be referred to by the royal title in reference to her husband, i.e., HRH Princess Henry of Wales.
Following her marriage, Meghan Markle can use Mountbatten-Windsor as her surname. However, considering that royals tend to be known only by their first names, it is unlikely that she will be addressed by that name very often.
On the morning of the wedding, Kensington Palace tweeted that the Queen was pleased to confer a dukedom on Prince Harry. As is tradition, Harry was granted a dukedom on the day of his wedding, and Meghan Markle's surname became Mountbatten-Windsor.
Meghan Markle's first official engagement after her marriage was on May 22, when she and her husband attended a garden party celebrating the charity work of King Charles III (then the Prince of Wales). In July 2018, Meghan's first official trip abroad as a royal was to Dublin, Ireland, alongside Harry. In October 2018, the Duke and Duchess traveled to Sydney for the 2018 Invictus Games.
As representatives of the Queen, the couple were greeted warmly by crowds in Sydney, and the announcement of Meghan's pregnancy hours after their arrival delighted the public and media.
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Meghan Markle's children will not be princes or princesses
Meghan Markle married Prince Harry in May 2018, officially becoming a member of the royal family. However, her marriage to Prince Harry did not make her a princess, as only women born into the royal family, like Princess Charlotte, hold that title. Instead, she became a Duchess, as her husband was granted a dukedom on their wedding day, per tradition. Her official title is Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex.
While Meghan Markle is a Duchess, her children with Prince Harry will not be princes or princesses. This is due to a 1917 Letters Patent issued by King George V, which limited the titles of a sovereign's grandchildren. Unless Queen Elizabeth issues a new Letters Patent, Harry and Meghan's children will be known as Lord or Lady (forename) Mountbatten-Windsor.
For example, if Meghan and Harry were to have children named Andrew and Alice, they would be called Lord Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Lady Alice Mountbatten-Windsor, not Prince Andrew and Princess Alice. This is in contrast to the children of Prince William and Kate Middleton, whose children Prince George and Princess Charlotte are using titles that won't apply to Meghan and Harry's children.
Despite not being a princess, Meghan can still technically be referred to by the 'Princess' title if it is in reference to her husband, as in Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Wales.
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Frequently asked questions
Meghan Markle's official title after her wedding to Prince Harry is Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex.
No, Meghan Markle will not be known as Princess Meghan after her wedding to Prince Harry. Only women born into the royal family hold the title of Princess. However, she may still be referred to by the 'Princess' title if it's in reference to her husband, as in Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Wales.
After marrying Prince Harry, Meghan Markle can use Mountbatten-Windsor as her surname. However, considering royals tend to be known only by their first names, it’s unlikely that she will be addressed by that name very often.
