Harry and Meghan retain HRH titles but won’t use them

Although Harry and Meghan will drop their ‘HRH’, they will still retain them, unlike Harry’s mother Diana who was stripped of the title.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to drop their HRH “royal highness” titles and become known as Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. But although they won’t use their titles, they will still retain them.

This is in contrast to Harry’s mother Diana who was stripped of her HRH style following her divorce 24 years ago, her title becoming Diana, Princess of Wales.

The change will take effect in the spring when the couple will no longer be working royals.

Harry, who was born a prince of Wales, remains a prince. He has been styled an HRH since birth.

He was given the title the Duke of Sussex by his grandmother the Queen on the morning of his wedding.

Former actress Meghan Markle became HRH the Duchess of Sussex after saying her vows.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Saturday: “The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family.”

In the Queen’s statement sanctioning their new life earlier this week, the monarch did not referred to the couple by their official titles. This was taken as the first clue as to what might be in store, with commentators questioning whether there was the prospect of the couple losing their HRH style – and even their royal titles.

Their son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, is not an HRH, nor a prince, as he is too far down the line of succession from the monarch.

Harry and Meghan could have used the courtesy title Earl of Dumbarton for him, and he was also entitled to be Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.

But they took the personal decision to make him a plain Master, most likely inspired by Harry’s wish to have been a normal child, rather than a prince, as he grew up.

Archie will, however, be entitled to be HRH and a prince when the Prince of Wales accedes to the throne – although Harry and Meghan almost certainly will not opt for this now.

Diana had her HRH style and her title the Princess of Wales removed – becoming Diana, Princess of Wales – following her divorce from the Prince of Wales in 1996.

At her funeral after her death in a car crash in 1997, her brother Earl Spencer said in his controversial eulogy that the princess “proved in the last year that she needed no royal title to continue to generate her particular brand of magic”.

The Duke of York’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who was HRH the Duchess of York, became Sarah, Duchess of York after they split.

PA