It’s been debated among royal watchers since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down about whether or not they should be allowed to keep their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles. Queen Elizabeth II made the decision that they would retain them. But per their agreement with the late queen, Meghan and Harry were not permitted to use their His/Her Royal Highness titles.
However, Meghan recently shared a letter via her Instagram Stories in which she is being addressed as “Her Royal Highness” by the vice president of Ukraine. Ever since, there have been calls to take away the Sussexes’ royal titles completely. And while there’s not a lot of confidence that King Charles will do anything, many believe Prince William will.
Here’s more on that and what someone who used to work for Charles, William, and Harry has to say about it.
Why former assistant believes William is ‘more likely’ than Charles to take away Harry’s title
Grant Harrold was King Charles’ butler from 2004 to 2011. During his time working for the monarch his duties also included that of valet, house manager, and driver. He looked after Prince William and Prince Harry as well whenever they stayed at Highgrove House. Harrold was asked if he thinks the Prince of Wales is “more likely” to take away this brother’s royal title than the king.
Speaking on behalf of Prime Casino for Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Harrold opined: “Yes, I do think Prince William would be more likely to take that step than King Charles — not to stir up trouble necessarily, but because of the vision he’s started to outline for the monarchy. [William] recently said he wants the future of the royal family to be “royal with a small r,” which, to me, suggests he’s thinking about slimming it down — focusing on a more streamlined, working monarchy.
“If that’s the direction he’s headed in, then naturally, he’s going to look at the wider family and ask, ‘Who do we really need in the fold?’ That includes cousins and extended royals— he’ll be thinking practically about who contributes to the institution and who doesn’t. That’s probably the moment when decisions about Harry and Meghan would really come to a head.
The former royal butler continued: “If, by then, they [the Sussexes] still haven’t returned to the royal fold — and there’s no sign of reconciliation — then I could absolutely see William making the call to formally remove the HRH status. Other royal families across Europe have done similar things with extended members. It’s not without precedent.
“It’s also worth noting the difference between not using a title — which is the current agreement — and actually having it revoked. Right now, Harry and Meghan still technically hold the HRH style, they’ve just agreed not to use it. If it’s stripped, they legally can’t use it. That’s a very different situation, and it would make a clear statement about their standing in the institution. I think William would be more decisive about something like that than Charles has been, especially if it aligns with his vision of a smaller, more focused monarchy.”
Reports that King Charles won’t strip Harry’s title but gave Prince William permission to
Harrold may be correct that William could end up being the one to remove his brother’s title.
According to a courtier who spoke to Radar Online, King Charles has no plans to strip Harry and Meghan of their titles but will allow his eldest to do it, not until William takes the throne himself though.
The king reportedly won’t remove Harry and Meghan’s titles as long as he is the monarch as he’s too “concerned” about any damage it would cause to his reputation and backlash he could get from the Sussexes’ supporters.
As the Palace insider said: “The monarch is very concerned about his image and fears backlash from his subjects. That’s why he’d never dare take away Harry’s Sussex title–despite all the hurt he’s caused.
“Behind the scenes, people are saying that the royals have quietly sanctioned the title removal–if Harry and Meghan step out of line again. The removal would require an Act of Parliament. But those in the know say the Palace has already called several secret meetings to discuss the possibility and put an actionable plan in place.”
