The state of California has a new princess within its residence - the scarcely photographed Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's daughter was given the title weeks ago despite the couple removing themselves and their children from the royal family.
Fans are a little confused about how Lillibet is a princess if her famous parents left the royal family, but things are a little more complicated than they seem. The rules the royal family follows about lineage and titles go back hundreds of years, so it's a little more complex than just wanting to be out of the royal spotlight. Below, we outline just how Lilibet got the title of Princess and if her parents are looking to capitalize upon it.
Why Was Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor Given The Title Of Princess?
People were a little confused when it was announced that Lilibet would be given the title of Princess. However, just because her parents decided to remove themselves from the royal family doesn't mean she is completely removed from it.
According to online sources, after the accession of King Charles III, Lilibet became entitled to use both the title of Princess and the style of royal highness, as she's the grandchild of the Monarch. This is pursuant to the letters patent issued by King George V in 1917. This means that Archie is not Prince Archie as well.
Harry himself is technically still a prince, despite desperately wanting to step away from his royal-ness. He and Meghan also kept their titles as Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The only thing that really changed with their removal from the royal family is that they lost their funding from the family, and they lost their His/Her Royal Highness titles.
"The children's titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became Monarch. This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace," said the Sussexes' Archewell organization in a statement.
It's unclear if Harry and Meghan will use the titles with their children. Fans have been suspicious of the couple's true intentions for stepping away from the royal family for months now. South Park's "Worldwide Privacy Tour" episode, while obviously a parody, does a great job at pointing out how the couple who seemingly only wants privacy thrives off attention.
Has Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor Met The Members Of The Royal Family?
Lilibet has met a few members of the royal family, despite the drama surrounding her parent's relationship with them. Prior to the Queen's death, Lilibet was able to meet Queen Elizabeth II when Prince Harry and Meghan traveled with their family to London for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. She also met her grandfather, King Charles III, that day as well.
Royal experts agree that Lilibet has most likely not met Prince William, Kate Middleton, or any of their children. Royal expert Christopher Andersen spoke to Us Weekly in June 2022, after the Platinum Jubilee, and explained that the brothers made no effort to communicate with each other during the celebration for their grandmother.
Their family feud is very much still ongoing, meaning their children will face the consequences of not getting to know one another. It isn't very pleasant to see a family being ripped apart by one another, especially considering that Prince William has openly stated how much his kids adore his brother, Prince Harry.
It took months for Lilibet to even be recognized as a member of the Royal family. The Princess was born in the United States in early June 2021 and, according to online sources, wasn't recognized by the royal family's official website until late July.
When she was added to the list, she was given the ranking as the eighth member of the Royal Family in the official line of succession to the throne.
Fans on Twitter believed that the delay in listing Lilibet on the royal family's website was due to Meghan and Prince Harry. Some have speculated that the couple chose to be difficult about sending the birth certificate to the Queen, and Lilibet's absence from the list was the royal family's way of retaliating.
Who Takes Care Of Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor?
When Lilibet and Archie weren't present at the Queen's funeral, many people were curious as to where they were and who was taking care of them. While there are no age restrictions, their parents felt the children were too young to attend the ceremony for their great-grandmother.
According to online sources, Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, has helped out with the children frequently in the past, so there's a good chance she was with them while Meghan and Prince Harry went to London.
Meghan also admitted to having "an amazing nanny" named Lauren on an episode of her podcast Archetypes. She said that Lauren has been working with the family for some time now. She helps provide downtime for the couple, so there's a chance she was also babysitting them while the couple was abroad.
Prince Harry claims to be a very hands-on dad as well. His life in California is much more relaxed than it was in England, offering him more time to spend with his children. One of the things he loves to do most with them is playing in their garden. However, he does admit that the two can be quite a handful.
Speaking with Serena Williams in 2022, he explained how he tries to keep his mental health in check to ensure he can be the best father for his two children by looking for breaks, he can use to focus on his own needs. "Okay, one of the kids has gone to school. The other one's taking a nap. There's a break in our program. It's like, right, it's either workout, take the dog for a walk, get out in nature, maybe meditate," said Prince Harry to Serena.
Prince Harry is hopeful that his children will have a meaningful connection to their family in England someday. "I've said before that I've wanted a family, not an institution — so of course, I would love nothing more than for our children to have relationships with members of my family, and they do with some, which brings me great joy," said Prince Harry while speaking with People Magazine in 2023
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