Archie and Lilibet’s title decision ‘can be left until they are 18’

The decision over Archie Harrison and Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana’s titles could be postponed until Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s children turn 18 and, as adults, they can make a decision about their future after having learnt about the responsibilities and history linked to the Royal Family and royal honours, according to royal commentator Angela Levin. Archie and Lili became eligible to be created Prince and Princess and receive an HRH style upon the accession to the throne of their grandfather King Charles III in September. However, the Palace has not yet shared whether the toddlers will receive these titles or will grow up bearing the surname of Mountbatten-Windsor they have used so far.The author of Camilla: From Outcast to Queen Consort, believes the new sovereign may make a decision on the children’s titles depending on what is included in the Netflix’s docu-series featuring Meghan and Harry and in the Duke of Sussex’s memoir.The former has yet to be officially announced by the US streaming platform, but the Duchess mentioned it in her recent interview with Variety, saying she and Harry have trusted director Liz Garbus with “their story”.The memoir will instead be released by Penguin Random House on January 10 with the title Spare.  Archie and Lili are eligible for royal titles as the grandchildren of the sovereign (Image: GETTY) Archie was introduced to the world by his parents on May 8 2019, two days after his birth (Image: GETTY)Suggesting that, if these contain damaging allegations or attacks against the Firm Charles may decide against giving his grandchildren their titles, Ms Levin told Express.co.uk when asked whether Lili and Archie will soon receive titles: “I really don’t know, I think that will likely depend on the comments that they make in the documentary and the memoir.”Providing her opinion on the matter, the author continued: “Personally, and I don’t have any control over this whatsoever, don’t think it’s right to give titles like Prince and Princess to children who have no idea what it’s like in Britain, don’t see the Royal Family, have no idea what is involved, could not do work for them.”I don’t see that that’s right, I think it can be left until they are 18 and adults and then they may be able to be told [about royal life] and make a decision.”You can’t have people holding responsibilities when they are nowhere near the country.” READ MORE: The Crown will show ‘tampongate’ in sympathetic manner Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been living in California with their children since March 2020 (Image: GETTY)The youngest grandchildren of late Queen Elizabeth II – Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn – were also not given titles upon their birth following an agreement between the then sovereign and their parents, the Earl and Countess of Wessex.This has allowed the children, now teenagers, to grow up shielded from the public eye while still taking part in some events linked to their parents’ work, such as the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham during the past summer, or the Royal Family.In June 2020, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, opened up about the issue of her children’s title, telling the Sunday Times Magazine: “We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living.”Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely.” DON’T MISS Princess Charlotte’s ‘behaviour’ at funeral meant Kate was ‘scolded’ [ANALYSIS]King and Queen forced to wait for Queen Mother’s death before marriage [INSIGHT]Queen ‘went out of her way to make Kate feel welcome’ at Balmoral [REPORT] King Charles III acceded to the throne on September 8 (Image: GETTY)Lady Louise turned 18 in November last year but has not yet publicly discussed whether she intends to change her royal status.In early 2021, during her groundbreaking interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan discussed her son’s title, mentioning conversations she said were held by unnamed people within the Firm focused on her son not becoming a Prince and that, as a consequence, not receiving security.Asked if it was important to her for Archie to be called a Prince, Meghan said: “If it meant he was going to be safe, then, of course. All the grandeur surrounding this stuff is an attachment that I don’t personally have, right?”She added: “But the idea of our son not being safe, and also the idea of the first member of colour in this family not being titled in the same way that other grandchildren would be…”You know, the other piece of that conversation is, there’s a convention – I forget if it was George V or George VI convention – that when you’re the grandchild of the monarch, so when Harry’s dad becomes King, automatically Archie and our next baby would become Prince or Princess, or whatever they were going to be.”  Archie and Lili were among the late Queen’s 12 great-grandchildren (Image: EXPRESS) The front cover of Angela Levin’s latest book (Image: SIMON & SCHUSTER)Suggesting a desire within the Palace to bar her son from receiving a royal title, during her landmark interview Meghan went on to claim: “I think even with that convention I’m talking about, while I was pregnant [with Archie], they said they want to change the convention for Archie.”The Palace did not address this specific claim by Meghan but, in a statement released almost two days after the interview was first aired in the US, it famously said that the issues raised were “concerning” and that while “recollections may vary”, they were going to be taken seriously and addressed by the family privately.The Duchess referred to the Letters Patent issued by King George V in 1917, which established that all children of the sovereign, the children of the sovereign’s sons and the eldest son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales are eligible for the titles of Prince of Princess.In 2012, the late Queen issued a new Letters Patent establishing that all the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would become Prince and Princess upon birth, not just their firstborn.