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What are the full names and titles of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's children?
Executive summary
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have two children: a son commonly referred to as Prince Archie (full given name Archie Harrison Mountbatten‑Windsor at birth) and a daughter commonly referred to as Princess Lilibet (given name Lilibet “Lili” Diana; born Lilibet Diana Mountbatten‑Windsor) — both raised in California and styled in media as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex [1] [2] [3]. Reporting notes changes and variations in how their surnames and titles are presented across royal and popular outlets, reflecting legal, traditional and privacy considerations [4] [2].
1. Names at birth vs. commonly used styling
When Archie was born in May 2019, his full name was announced as Archie Harrison Mountbatten‑Windsor, and sources report Lilibet’s given name as Lilibet Diana Mountbatten‑Windsor after her birth in June 2021 [2] [1]. In public reporting and on some royal pages the children are styled as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet (often followed by “of Sussex”), a change that occurred as questions around their titles were revisited after King Charles III’s accession [4] [5].
2. Titles and the royal-website update
Media coverage notes that the official royal website began referring to them as “Prince Archie of Sussex” and “Princess Lilibet of Sussex,” reflecting that children and grandchildren of a reigning monarch are generally eligible for prince/princess styles under historic Letters Patent cited by commentators [4]. Reporting also highlights that Harry and Meghan had previously stepped back from senior royal duties, which complicated public expectations and decisions around titles [4] [3].
3. Surnames, styling choices and family practice
Beyond Mountbatten‑Windsor (the dynastic surname used by senior royals), outlets explain that Harry and Meghan have used Sussex as a family name for practical purposes and to align with their branding; some stories say the children may be publicly referred to with the Sussex surname in day‑to‑day contexts [2] [6]. Vogue and other sources emphasize that royal children often use their parents’ territorial designation (for example, “Wales” or “Sussex”) as a surname in non‑formal situations, which helps explain variance in reporting [2].
4. How outlets report the children’s names — consistency and differences
Contemporary reporting (People, InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar, Business Insider, ABC News) commonly calls them “Prince Archie” and “Princess Lilibet” and gives their given names (Archie Harrison and Lilibet Diana) when noting birth announcements or family posts; some lifestyle outlets abbreviate or use nicknames such as “Lili” [7] [8] [9] [5] [10]. Other sites mention Mountbatten‑Windsor as the children’s legal surname at birth while noting that media and the family often use “Sussex” informally [1] [2] [6].
5. Privacy, public appearances and why naming matters
Reporting stresses that the Sussexes have guarded their children’s privacy, releasing few images and often obscuring faces in posts; that approach intersects with debates over title usage because titles can affect public perception, security arrangements and media interest [7] [9] [3]. Coverage of the children’s rare public moments (for example, Meghan’s Instagram posts or archival footage) consistently uses their given names alongside the “Prince/Princess” styling when noting their public roles [7] [9].
6. Areas where sources diverge or leave gaps
Articles agree on the children’s given names and the common styling as prince and princess, but available sources vary in emphasis: some foreground Mountbatten‑Windsor as the birth surname while others highlight the practical use of Sussex or the “Prince/Princess” styling on royal pages [4] [2] [6]. Available sources do not mention any official, single‑line statement from Buckingham Palace in the provided set that resolves every nuance of daily surname use versus formal dynastic status — reporting reflects customary practice and media/royal‑website choices [4] [2].
7. Bottom line for reference
For citation and everyday reference, major outlets list the children as Archie Harrison (born 2019) and Lilibet “Lili” Diana (born 2021), and they are commonly styled as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex in news coverage and on some royal pages [1] [8] [4]. If you need a particular legal or ceremonial formulation (for example, exact legal surnames on documents versus media styling), available sources do not provide a single definitive text here and further primary documentation would be required (not found in current reporting).