Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced that they have welcomed their second child, daughter Lilibet, into the world.
A statement from the couple confirmed the happy news, saying: ‘It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.
Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA. She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home.
Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales.
The pair are already parents to two-year-old Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, who despite being a great-grandchild of the longest-reigning monarch in history, Queen Elizabeth II, but doesn’t have any royal title himself.
This revelation was brought back to the public’s attention after Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah.
How come Archie doesn’t have a title, and will their daughter receive one?
Will Harry and Meghan’s daughter get a royal title?
The couple will follow the current royal conventions set out by the Letters Patent of the monarchy.
Letters Patent are official orders or decrees that a monarch can issue to change the traditions or norms that came before.
In 1917, Queen Victoria’s grandson (and our current queen’s grandfather) King George V issued a new Letters Patent which limited the titles of HRH to the children of the sovereign, grandchildren in the male line, and the eldest son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales (which would now be Prince William, the eldest son of Prince Charles).
That is why Archie currently does not have a royal title.
Under the 1917 LP, the other great-grandchildren of the monarch in the male line would be styled as younger sons and daughters of a Duke— which is why Archie could use the title of Earl of Dumbarton, a title reportedly turned down by Meghan and Harry.
Using this train of thought, it is, therefore, possible that their daughter could receive the title of ‘Lady’ – the title given to the daughter of a Duke, Earl or Marquess.
Archie and his sister will receive HRH titles once Charles, their paternal grandfather, becomes King.
This means that Archie could become a Prince and their daughter could become a Princess, if they decide to take the titles, or if no other Letters Patent are made changing this custom.
The most recent change to the custom of giving titles was made in 2012, when the Queen issued a new Letters Patent to address the question of what would happen if William and Kate Middleton’s first born child was a girl.
Queen Elizabeth II issued a new Letters Patent that gave the HRH title to all the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales, getting ahead of a potential outdated issue of the firstborn son becoming the next-in-line, even if he was younger than any older sisters.
MORE : Meghan urges next generation of ‘trailblazing women’ to ‘challenge injustice’
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