Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will no longer use the HRH titles, but were not officially stripped of them when they made the bombshell announcement they were stepping back from royal duties itself. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been living in Los Angeles, Meghan’s hometown, where they are hoping to fully begin their new life once coronavirus has passed.
But not all royals were as lucky as the Sussexes, with some other recent royals being stripped of the honour.
The couple announced their intention to remove themselves from royal life reportedly without consulting other members of the family.
It came after months of clear discomfort from the couple, who have heavily criticised the media for their reception of the Duchess of Sussex.
At the time, the Queen has said she was “pleased” to have found a “constructive and supportive way forward” for the couple, while Harry said “there really was no other option.”
Who have lost their HRH titles?
Princess Diana, who would have celebrated her 59th birthday today, lost her HRH title following her divorce from Prince Charles.
Diana became HRH Princess of Wales when she married the Prince of Wales in 1981.
Similarly, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, was also stripped of her HRH following her divorce from Prince Andrew.
While the Queen is reasonably liberal with her descendants using HRH, not everyone has accepted the offer.
Princess Anne, the Queen’s daughter, declined the title for her own children, Peter and Zara, because she wanted them to lead as ordinary lives as possible.
This is in contrast to Prince Andrew, who gave the title to his two daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie.
Prince Edward’s children Louise and James are styled as Lady Louise and Viscount Severn, and were not given the HRH on birth.
Their parents Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Prince Edward decided against giving them the title, but in 2020, the Countess of Wessex stated that when her children turn 18 they can make a choice whether they will use their royal title and style.
