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Topics: Prince William, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Royal Family
Lucy Devine
Topics: Prince William, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Royal Family
Prince William might be able to make a big decision about his sister-in-law Meghan Markle, when he becomes king.
The Prince of Wales is next in line to the throne and is expected to become the monarch after his father, King Charles III.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals back in 2020, shedding their titles and becoming financially independent.
After stepping away from the family, the pair settled in Montecito, California, with their two children - Archie, five and Lilibet, three - and signed deals with Spotify and Netflix to earn their own money, The Times reports.
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The publication further says that Harry and Meghan had agreed with the late Queen Elizabeth II not to use their HRH titles in the future, though they would retain the titles, and as a result, Prince Harry had his HRH title removed on the royal family’s website, Royal.uk, in late 2023.
At the time, a statement read: "With The Queen’s blessing, the Sussexes will continue to maintain their private patronages and associations. While they can no longer formally represent The Queen, the Sussexes have made clear that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty.
"The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family."
The Times says that this suggests that they would not be able to use HRH for commercial purposes, such as to promote a series, with Meghan being credited as Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in her Netflix lifestyle series.
However, this week, Meghan was accused of breaking the agreement.
During an interview on The Jamie Kern Lima podcast, which was shared on YouTube, an image was shown of a gift basket of ice cream and homemade strawberry sauce that Meghan sent Kern Lima.
A note printed on monogrammed paper can be seen, reading: “With the compliments of HRH the Duchess of Sussex.”
People pointed out that Meghan had used her 'HRH' title on the note.
However, the Sussexes' reps have issued a statement to address the situation, telling Hello! Magazine that the couple 'do not use' their HRH titles, despite no legal formal removal of the titles.
Following the drama, a source has claimed that Prince William could stop Meghan using the HRH title, once he becomes king.
“Charles might be happy to put up with this, but William won’t,” the insider told the Daily Beast.
Meanwhile, another insider defended Meghan, telling the publication: “Harry and Meghan retain their HRH titles; however, by agreement, they do not use them for commercial purposes.
“While they do not publicly use ‘HRH', this was a personal gift, and their titles remain.”