As soon as QEII passed away, Prince Harry and Meghan’s two children became the grandchildren of the monarch, and as such, they automatically became Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. While King Charles had openly discussed changing the Letters Patent in 1917 specifically to remove the royal titles of his two mixed-race grandchildren, he has not done so. Instead, Charles has spent months openly harassing the Sussexes over whether or not he was going to “punish” their children. Charles considered the titles to be his “bargaining chip” and his people were openly saying that Lili and Archie’s titles “need to be earned.” Again, he has not changed the Letters Patent. So here we are: with Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson referring to “Princess Lilibet” in the confirmation of her christening.

Announcing Prince Archie Harrison and Princess Lilibet Diana! For the first time, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have referred to their children’s royal titles. While confirming the news of Lilibet’s recent christening, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told PEOPLE on Wednesday: “I can confirm that Princess Lilibet was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor.”

Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth in September, Harry’s father became King Charles — and as grandchildren of the monarch, 3-year-old Archie and 1-year-old Lili were afforded the titles of prince and princess. PEOPLE understands that the titles will be used in formal settings and not in everyday use.

The rule was established by King George V after he issued a Letters Patent in 1917 that read: “…the grandchildren of the sons of any such sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of dukes of these our realms.”

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet did not receive the titles when they were born because they were great-grandchildren of the monarch. Instead, they were styled as “Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor” and “Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.” Their prince and princess titles are not yet reflected on the royal family’s official website, but PEOPLE understands the palace will update the website to reflect the children’s titles.

When Prince Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, were married in May 2018, Queen Elizabeth gave them the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Archie was entitled to the “courtesy title” of Earl of Dumbarton upon his birth, but the couple did not give him a courtesy title at that time. Down the line, Archie could be given the secondary Sussex title before inheriting the dukedom.

[From People]

Yeah – it’s as I said. It’s not a matter of “earning” the titles or Charles “giving” the children the titles, it’s that he hasn’t changed the Letters Patent (yet) and so those are the children’s titles now. The end. But of course, the royal reporters began freaking out immediately, because how dare Meghan and Harry have the audacity to follow the Letters Patent and they’re being uppity!! As People notes, the royal reporters ran screaming to Buckingham Palace and the palace is now saying that they’ll change the royal website to reflect the kids’ titles, which is what should have happened right after QEII’s death. The Daily Beast’s Royalist also made it sound like the Sussexes were contemptibly overstepping by merely referring to the kids with their titles:

There has been speculation that the unwillingness to acknowledge the children as prince and princess was linked to the collapse of the relationship between the couple and the royals. The couple now appear to have run out of patience and have instead put it up to the royals to explicitly deny the children the titles if they so wish.

Lilibet still appears as Miss Lilibet Mountbatten Windsor on the official royal website and her older brother, Archie, appears as Master Archie. Rumors are circulating that this may now be changed, indicating the palace will accept the legitimacy of the titles, but the fact it is having to be done in response to the Sussex announcement will be likely to infuriate the palace old guard.

The palace was contacted for comment Wednesday but has not responded. A palace source, however, confirmed the use of title was accurate and said the website would be updated in due course.

Royal expert Duncan Larcombe, former royal editor at The Sun, told The Daily Beast: “The Sussexes dared the palace to contradict them. It’s a very uncompromising move.”

A friend of King Charles told The Daily Beast: “The kids are entitled to the titles by convention. It’s just rather amazing that Harry and Meghan want to inflict them on their children, given the extent of their disappointment with the institution.”

[From The Daily Beast]

Given that Harry invited his garbage family to the christening and they refused, I assume that he didn’t just spring this title issue on his family – Harry is as fed up with his father’s dithering and vindictiveness too, so Harry was just like “f–k it, those are the kids’ titles, dad hasn’t changed it, so whatever.” Charles was likely trying to hold the title issue over Harry’s head as a way to get him to the coronation too.

Photos courtesy of Misan Harriman/The Sussexes, SussexRoyal, Netflix, Avalon Red.