Fact check: Do Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children hold any royal titles?

1. Why suddenly “prince” and “princess” — a legal change or customary usage?

Contemporary accounts in 2025 present the children’s use of princely styles as stemming from King Charles’s accession to the throne in 2022, after which media outlets report that Archie and Lilibet “started using” the titles ^[1]. These reports frame the shift as a consequence of dynastic succession rather than as a new decree announced publicly at the time, and they treat the usage as an established fact by 2025. Coverage emphasizes the practical outcome — the children are being referred to with princely styles — without consistently repeating the legal mechanics leading to that outcome, leaving room for differing interpretations in public discourse ^{[2] [1]}.

2. The Sussexes’ public position: a reported reversal and a family conversation

Reporting from September 2025 highlights that Harry and Meghan announced in 2023 they would be using their children’s royal titles, framing this as a reversal from earlier sentiments expressed by the duchess about monarchy-related life choices ^[3]. Those accounts attribute the decision to a “pivotal discussion” with two family members, depicting it as a negotiated, interpersonal resolution rather than a unilateral edict. The coverage treats the Sussexes’ 2023 announcement as the moment the family publicly accepted or adopted the styles, though specifics about who spoke or the content of that family exchange remain characterized as reported rather than documented within these pieces ^[3].

3. How outlets reported the names: “Prince Archie of Sussex” and “Princess Lilibet of Sussex”

Mid-2025 reporting states explicitly that the children are officially known by the princely styles tied to the Sussex designation, with headlines and body copy referring to “Prince Archie of Sussex” and “Princess Lilibet of Sussex” ^[1]. Coverage presents those forms of address as current, reflecting how the family and press used the names. The phrasing “of Sussex” signals a territorial or family designation attached in media references, and articles from June through September 2025 treat those titles as the accepted forms in circulation, indicating a consolidated public presentation across outlets cited ^{[1] [2]}.

4. Divergent framings in coverage: “U-turn” versus “formal acceptance”

September 2025 pieces describe the 2023 decision as a “huge royal U‑turn,” implying a narrative shift from earlier positions the Sussexes publicly took about distancing from royal life ^[3]. Other accounts present the same developments more neutrally as the children “started using” titles after Charles’s accession, framing it as an expected dynastic outcome ^{[2] [1]}. These divergent framings reflect editorial choices: some outlets emphasize personal drama and change, while others emphasize procedural or status updates, revealing distinct narrative priorities across coverage ^{[3] [2]}.

5. What the reporting leaves out — gaps and implications for readers

The mid- and late-2025 articles consolidate the result — the children are styled prince and princess — but they often omit detailed documentation of the legal or formal steps that produced the change, focusing instead on timing, family conversations, and public naming conventions ^{[1] [3]}. That omission matters because readers must piece together whether the usage reflects a formal royal instrument, an internal family convention, or media practice. The absence of explicit source documents in these accounts means public understanding rests on journalistic synthesis rather than linked primary paperwork in the cited pieces ^{[2] [1]}.

6. Competing agendas visible in the narrative choices

Coverage that labels the 2023 announcement a “U‑turn” emphasizes personal drama and perceived breaches of prior commitments, an angle that can amplify controversy around motives and relationships ^[3]. Other pieces that simply report the children’s styles as adopted after the 2022 accession foreground continuity and status, which can downplay interpersonal conflict ^{[2] [1]}. These contrasting editorial stances suggest outlets are selecting frames that serve narratives about royal stability versus familial tension, and readers should note how those frames shape impressions even when the core descriptive claim — the children are using princely styles — is consistent across pieces.

7. Bottom line for readers wanting clarity now

Across the cited mid- and late-2025 reporting, the consistent factual claim is that Archie and Lilibet are being referred to as Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex, and that the Sussexes announced in 2023 they would use those titles following Charles’s 2022 accession ^{[1] [2] [3]}. The coverage converges on outcome and timing but diverges on motive and significance. For readers seeking documentary proof or the precise legal mechanism behind the change, the articles summarized here do not furnish primary documents; they report statements, family discussions, and naming practice as the evident basis for the current styling ^{[1] [3] [2]}.