Prince Louis almost missed out on being called HRH, which stands for “His Royal Highness.”
Back in 1917, King George V made a rule that only the children and grandkids of the king or queen, born through sons, could have HRH titles. But then Queen Elizabeth stepped in and changed this so that all of Prince William and Princess Catherine’s kids could be princes and princesses. If she hadn’t done this, Louis would just be Master Louis Cambridge instead.
We sometimes forget how complex royal rules can be.
When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry talked to Oprah Winfrey in 2021, they highlighted these changes. Meghan said that even though Elizabeth changed the rules for William’s kids, it didn’t apply to Archie. So Archie didn’t get an HRH title or the security that comes with it. Meghan was worried because she believed her son needed protection.
Meghan expressed her frustration: “They were saying they didn’t want him to have a prince title and he wasn’t going to get security. This went on during my pregnancy. I kept thinking, hold on a second. They said he’s not going to get security because he’s not a prince,” she said. “Okay, well he needs to be safe.”
👶
đź’« Stay updated on celebrity news Get the latest entertainment news delivered straight to your inbox.
When King Charles took the throne, Meghan and Harry’s children got their official titles too. Now they’re sixth and seventh in line for the throne! Before this change, they were listed simply as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor on the royal family website.
Harry and Meghan made a statement saying their children’s titles became official when their grandfather became king: “The children’s titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch,” they stated. “This matter has been settled for some time with Buckingham Palace.”