Following the release of their Instagram post and statement last night, announcing that they'll soon be "stepping down" from their positions as "senior members" of the royal family and becoming financially independent, one question you may be wondering is: will Meghan Markle and Prince Harry get to keep their royal titles?
Whilst the Queen does have the power to strip them of their Duke and Duchess of Sussex monikers, it seems unlikely that she will (even though reports say HRH was kind of in the dark about their plans to reduce their roles within the family – awkward).
Why do we think Harry and Meghan will get to keep their titles? Well, for starters, the statement itself names them as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex throughout (e.g. "In 2020, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made the choice to transition into a new working model").
There are also plenty of other royals who still hold a title, such as Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, despite not being a "senior member" of the family. Both Beatrice (who is getting married this year) and Eugenie work regular jobs too, with the former being Vice President of a software company and the latter having a successful career in the art gallery world.
Other high profile royals famed for stepping down include Edward VIII, who was the King of England throughout 1936, but who then notoriously abdicated the throne in order to marry American divorcée, Wallis Simpson – who was disapproved of. He was then reassigned the title of Duke of Windsor. Of course, given that Edward was actually the reigning monarch when he stepped down, it's unlikely that Meghan and Harry will have a title change in this way.
It's also unlikely that the Queen will want to create any more headlines by denouncing their titles, given that it's been a tough 12 months for the royals in terms of less-than-ideal stories coming to light (e.g. Prince Andrew's scandal). Despite also stepping down from his royal duties, Prince Andrew has kept his title as Duke of York.
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It's thought that the couple will be forgoing an estimated £5.5 million in Sovereign Grant funds when they become non-senior royals.
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Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
