Who Will Prince Harry Be After His Wedding?

will harry be a duke after wedding

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, was granted the title by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, upon his marriage to Meghan Markle, who then became the Duchess of Sussex, in 2018. While they stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and agreed to no longer go by His/Her Royal Highness (HRH), they each kept their Sussex titles. Today, the couple continues to use duke and duchess publicly and professionally, particularly for their work as part of the Archewell Foundation. They do not, however, officially represent the British monarchy or perform official royal duties on its behalf.

Characteristics Values
Name of Prince Harry's wife Meghan Markle
Date of marriage 19 May 2018
Title after marriage Duke of Sussex
Title of Meghan Markle after marriage Duchess of Sussex
Date of stepping back from senior royal duties 2020
Current address Montecito, California
Children Archie and Lilibet
Titles of children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex

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Harry was granted the title Duke of Sussex by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, upon his marriage to Meghan Markle in 2018

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, was granted the title by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, upon his marriage to Meghan Markle in 2018. The dukedom of Sussex was recreated and granted to Prince Harry, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, to mark his wedding to Meghan Markle. The title of Duke of Sussex is a substantive title and one of several royal dukedoms in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It is a hereditary title of a specific rank of nobility in the British royal family.

Harry was originally styled "His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales". He used Wales as his surname for military purposes and was known as "Captain Harry Wales" in such contexts. On the morning of his wedding, Queen Elizabeth II granted him the Dukedom of Sussex, the Earldom of Dumbarton, and the Barony of Kilkeel. Harry and Meghan continue to use the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex, despite stepping back from their roles as senior royals. They are no longer addressed as His or Her Royal Highness (HRH), but they have not had their titles of Duke and Duchess removed.

Harry and Meghan's children, Archie and Lilibet, are also entitled to royal titles. After the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, they became eligible to use the titles of Prince and Princess. In March 2023, the royal family's official website was updated to reflect these new titles: Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.

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Harry and Meghan continue to use their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, despite stepping back from royal duties

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle continue to use their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, despite stepping back from royal duties in 2020. The couple, now based in Montecito, California, signed their 2024 holiday card with warm wishes for the holiday season as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Harry was granted the title Duke of Sussex by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, upon his marriage to Meghan, who then became the Duchess of Sussex, in 2018. While they stepped back from royal duties and agreed to no longer go by His/Her Royal Highness (HRH), they each kept their Sussex titles. Today, the couple continues to use duke and duchess publicly and professionally, particularly for their work as part of the Archewell Foundation. They do not, however, officially represent the British monarchy or perform official royal duties on its behalf.

In a January 2023 interview with “60 Minutes,” Harry briefly addressed the question of why he and Meghan continued to use their Sussex titles. “Why not renounce your titles as duke and duchess?” Anderson Cooper asked. “And what difference would that make?” Harry said in response.

Harry and Meghan’s titles have been the subject of debate since they announced their decision to step back as senior members of the British royal family in 2020. Following their 2020 announcement, Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying that Harry and Meghan would no longer use the HRH prefix since they were “no longer working members of the Royal Family.” Since relocating to the U.S., Harry and Meghan continue to be referred to by the British royal family and the public as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Royal experts claim Prince William, the Prince of Wales, is seeking to remove Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's titles as tensions continue within the royal family. However, according to some experts, Prince William cannot strip Meghan Markle of her royal title, but using it may come at a price.

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Harry and Meghan's children, Archie and Lilibet, are eligible to use the titles of prince and princess

In March 2023, the royal family's official website was updated with the following new titles: Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex. This marked the first time that the children's titles had been used in public. The question of the children's titles took centre stage two years ago during Harry and Meghan's television interview with Oprah Winfrey. In that interview, Meghan said there was some debate in the family as to whether Archie would be called a prince. She indicated that the decision was made by the royal institution, not her or Harry. Meghan suggested that this was because Archie was the royal family's "first member of colour" and would have marked the first time a royal grandchild wasn't given the same title as the other grandchildren. At the time, royal experts said Meghan's comments appeared to be based on a misunderstanding of the way royal titles are conferred.

Harry and Meghan publicly referred to their daughter as "Princess Lilibet" during her christening, indicating for the first time that their two children would be publicly known by their royal titles. The couple may wish to signal that their children's connection to British royalty remains intact. Or it could be more practical than that: when Meghan spoke previously about Archie’s lack of a title, she had expressed that their interest in him receiving one was for the security protections that come with it.

Harry and Meghan continue to use their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, despite stepping back from their senior royal duties in 2020. They were granted these titles by Queen Elizabeth II upon their marriage in 2018. While they agreed to no longer go by His/Her Royal Highness (HRH), they each kept their Sussex titles. Today, the couple continues to use duke and duchess publicly and professionally, particularly for their work as part of the Archewell Foundation. They do not, however, officially represent the British monarchy or perform official royal duties on its behalf.

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Harry and Meghan's exit from the Royal Family appeared to burn bridges with the family

On January 8, 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their decision to “step back” as senior members of the British royal family. The couple intended to split their time between the United Kingdom and North America, become financially independent, and only represent the monarchy on a reduced basis. This decision, dubbed "Megxit", signified a break from royal family protocol and their pursuit of independence under their new brand, tentatively named "Sussex Royal".

Harry and Meghan's exit from royal duties resulted in a loss of the security arrangements previously provided for senior royals. Harry expressed concern about the safety of his family without adequate police protection, taking the matter to court. Additionally, they were no longer to be addressed as His/Her Royal Highness (HRH), and Harry relinquished his military titles. The couple's decision to step back from their royal roles appeared to strain their relationship with the royal family, as they later accused the royals of racism and claimed that Meghan's mental health struggles were not adequately supported.

In the years following their exit, Harry and Meghan continued to use their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, particularly for their work with the Archewell Foundation. Their children, Archie and Lilibet, also hold titles and are referred to as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex. Despite their departure from official royal duties, Harry and Meghan have maintained a public presence through various endeavours, including a Netflix docuseries, podcasts, and Harry's memoir, "Spare," which discusses his relationship with his family and the grief he experienced after his mother's death.

Harry and Meghan's decision to step back from their senior roles within the royal family appeared to burn bridges with the family. While they retained their titles, they gave up certain privileges and protections afforded to senior royals. Their public statements and interviews revealed a rift between them and the royal family, with accusations of racism and a lack of support for Meghan's mental health struggles. The couple's pursuit of financial independence and their continued use of royal titles have kept them in the public eye, maintaining attention on their relationship with the royal family.

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Harry and Meghan's titles have been the subject of debate since their decision to step back as senior members of the British royal family

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle continue to use their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, despite stepping back from their senior roles within the British royal family in 2020. This decision has sparked debate, with some questioning why they have retained their royal titles.

Harry was granted the title of Duke of Sussex by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, upon his marriage to Meghan in 2018. At that time, Meghan became the Duchess of Sussex. While they are no longer addressed as His or Her Royal Highness (HRH) and no longer carry out official royal duties, they have each kept their Sussex titles. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex continue to use these titles publicly and professionally, particularly in their work with the Archewell Foundation.

The couple's decision to step back from their senior roles within the royal family was not without controversy, and their exit was very public and painful. As a result, it appeared that many bridges were burned between them and the royal family. Despite this, Harry and Meghan's Duke and Duchess titles were not taken away by the royal family. Buckingham Palace issued a statement following their 2020 announcement, stating that the couple would no longer use the HRH prefix as they were "no longer working members of the Royal Family".

Harry and Meghan's children, Archie and Lilibet, also hold titles. After the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, they became eligible to use the titles of Prince and Princess. In March 2023, the royal family's official website was updated to reflect these new titles: Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.

While Harry and Meghan's use of their Duke and Duchess titles has been a subject of debate, it is important to note that they are still recognised by the royal family and the public as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, Harry was granted the title of Duke of Sussex by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, upon his marriage to Meghan Markle in 2018.

No, Harry and Meghan still retain their Duke and Duchess titles, but they are no longer addressed as His or Her Royal Highness (HRH).

Harry is still a duke and a prince by birthright, making him still in the line of succession to the throne.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children, Archie and Lilibet, are eligible to use the titles of "Prince" and "Princess". Their official titles are Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.

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