Titles & Styles
What she is called, what changed in 2020, and what did not.
The wedding-day titles
On 19 May 2018, the Queen conferred on Prince Harry the titles Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton, and Baron Kilkeel. By marriage, Meghan Markle became:
- Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex
- Countess of Dumbarton
- Baroness Kilkeel
“Duchess of Sussex” is the title used in practice.
What changed in 2020
Under the January 2020 agreement (announced by Buckingham Palace on 18 January), the couple agreed they would no longer use the HRH styles after stepping back as working royals. Key point, often misreported:
- She retains the title Duchess of Sussex. The agreement concerned the style HRH, not the title.
- The couple also agreed not to use the word “Royal” in their ventures — hence the retirement of “Sussex Royal.”
The children’s styles
Under George V’s 1917 Letters Patent, the grandchildren of the monarch in the male line are entitled to the styles of prince and princess. When Charles III acceded in September 2022, Archie and Lilibet became entitled:
- Prince Archie of Sussex (b. 6 May 2019)
- Princess Lilibet of Sussex (b. 4 June 2021)
The styles were first used on the couple’s website in March 2023. Before the accession, the children were styled Master Archie and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.
Common errors
- “She lost her title” — false; she remains the Duchess of Sussex.
- “She is still HRH” — false in practice; the HRH style is not used by agreement.
- “The children were denied titles out of malice” — the Oprah interview raised the question of why Archie was not to be a prince at birth (when, under the 1917 rules, as a great-grandchild of the monarch, he was not automatically entitled); the styles followed automatically on Charles’s accession. The interview’s claims and the palace’s “recollections may vary” response are both on the record; the mechanics above are the documented rules.
Source notes
- Wedding-day conferral (19 May 2018): official announcement.
- January 2020 agreement: Buckingham Palace statement, 18 January 2020.
- 1917 Letters Patent: the published instrument; children’s styles used from March 2023.
- Oprah interview claims (7 March 2021) and palace response: CBS and Buckingham Palace.