Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's kids won't be princes or princesses

As the reverend said at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, “The gift of marriage … is given as the foundation of family life in which children are born and nurtured and in which each member of the family, in good times and in bad, may find strength, companionship and comfort, and grow to maturity in love.”

So with children on the brain (the couple hasn’t shied away from expressing their desire to start a family), it begs the question: Will the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s kids get to be called prince or princess?

The simple answer is no. Prince and princess and his/her royal highness statuses are reserved for children or grandchildren of the monarch.

Prince George was the exception, as his father, Prince William, is in line to be king. The queen actually issued a new letters patent when Princess Charlotte was born to give her the same title as her brother. If she hadn’t, Princess Charlotte would instead have been known as Lady Charlotte Mountbatten-Windsor.

And with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcoming their third child in April, Prince Harry has been pushed down to sixth in line to the throne, meaning it’s highly unlikely his offspring could be the monarch.

If Prince Harry and Meghan have a child before Prince Charles ascends to the throne, then because they’re now considered the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, their children will likely be given lord or lady titles.

However, should Prince Charles take over from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry and Meghan’s future kids could eventually become a prince or princess, as their grandfather would be king.

However, there is precedent to turn down the title. The children of Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, are entitled to prince and princess titles because their father is the son of the queen, however they decided to break from tradition.

When their daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, was born, she was eighth in line to the throne, but her parents decided to give her a lady title instead of princess. Likewise, their son, James, was named James Alexander Philip Theo and is known as Viscount Severn.