Harry & Meghan charm Sydney
Harry and Meghan’s bundle of joy is on the way and loyal subjects want all the facts
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, more fondly known as Prince Harry and Meghan, are expecting a baby in the UK spring, and people — unsurprisingly — have questions: Will the baby assume the title of prince or princess? Will the child ever occupy the British throne? What will they call their little bundle of joy? Will it be a boy or a girl? And yes, some people really are Googling: When is spring?
So, let’s take a look.
Will the baby assume the title of prince or princess?
The answer is no. Meghan and Harry’s children will assume the title of lord or lady.
They can thank King George V for that. Back in 1917, William and Harry’s great-great-grandfather decided to limit the titles of members of the royal family, stating: “The grandchildren of the sons of any such sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes of these Our Realms.”
This means that as Meghan and Harry’s child will be a greatgrandchild of the sovereign (at least until Charles inherits the throne) he or she will be placed too far down the line of succession to rightfully assume the title of prince or princess.
It is believed that any children of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be known as Lord or Lady Mountbatten-Windsor, unless the Queen steps in to change that. In 2015, she opted to make Prince George a prince and followed suit with his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
“The Queen might well intervene in this case,” said royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams.
There’s also speculation that Meghan and Harry may prefer their children do not adopt the title of HRH in the hope they will lead a more normal life out of the intense royal spotlight.
Will Meghan and Harry’s child ever occupy the British throne?
Gender no longer plays a factor in determining who is next in line. Male bias was removed in the Succession to the Crown Act, which was passed in 2013. Now, the order in which members take the throne is based on age.
As of today, the line of succession looks like this: In line behind the Queen is Prince Charles, followed by his eldest son, Prince William. After Prince William are his three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Behind Prince Louis is his uncle, Prince Harry, at number six.
Monday’s announcement puts Harry and Meghan’s baby in seventh place, which makes it highly unlikely but not impossible for their child to one day reign.
In eighth, ninth and 10th place are the Queen’s second son, Prince Andrew, and his two daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
The last few days have been a whirlwind for Eugenie, who wed, was randomly hailed by President Trump on Twitter and then bumped from ninth in line to the throne to 10th by a baby yet to be born.
What will the baby’s name be?
Your guess is as good as ours.
Meghan and Harry are well known for their ability to shake up somewhat stale royal traditions.
As Harry is not directly in line to the throne, it’s often thought that he has more freedom to stray from royal norms when it comes to living his life. At their wedding this year, the couple followed some but also jettisoned some age-old traditions — and were widely praised for doing so.
Some think that the couple will opt for a non-traditional name, in keeping with their progressive and forwardthinking attitudes to life.
Speculation about the name of the newest royal is already in full flow in Britain, with bookmakers listing Diana, Stormzy and Alice as possible options.