One would think that a child being christened at home in Montecito – with her godfather Tyler Perry bringing a gospel choir – would be a good enough story on its own. Surely, it hits so many good-gossip buttons: a prince and his American bride, their two photogenic ginger children, a billionaire mogul godfather. Come on, that’s a great story. So of course Salt Island is ripping out their hair and wailing over… titles. It looks like Buckingham Palace is still openly briefing the media as well, probably because they know their cult of anti-Sussex monarchists can’t stand the fact that King Charles hasn’t found some way to abuse his grandchildren from afar. Charles tried to convince everyone for months that he could arbitrarily take Lilibet and Archie’s titles away because the titles had to be “earned.” Only the Sussexes reminded everyone that their kids were Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie the moment Charles became king. So here we are, with the palace briefing against the Sussexes yet again. From the Times:

The title dispute: The children have officially been allowed to use the titles since Elizabeth II’s death, under rules set out by George V in 1917. However, neither the palace nor the Sussexes have used the titles until now. The palace said it had been Harry and Meghan’s decision not to use the titles. A source said: “They would have been entitled as male-line grandchildren of the sovereign to use the titles, but their parents decided they did not wish them to be known as prince and princess.”

The palace thinks the kids won’t use the titles: It is understood the titles will be used in formal settings but not in everyday use by the couple. Harry and Meghan are understood to be keen to not deny their children their birthright, but to allow [them] to decide as adults whether to drop the titles.

Remember when Charles pretended he could take their titles away? The question of Archie and Lilibet’s titles has been a source of much confusion since the death of the late Queen. It was previously reported that the King had not decided whether to let them use their titles of prince and princess, which had heightened tensions with the Sussexes.

Harry & Meghan’s HRHs: Harry and Meghan have not been allowed to use their styles as His (or Her) Royal Highness since stepping down from royal duties. Now, Archie and Lilibet will not be HRHs. A palace source said: “The use of the style HRH would come through their father and the Duke of Sussex’s HRH is in abeyance.”

The palace was simply waiting for the Sussexes to make a move! The reaction of Buckingham Palace to the Sussexes’ announcement suggests that it had been waiting for Harry and Meghan to take a lead. A source said that the Sussexes had been entitled to use the titles since the King’s accession. Now that the Sussexes have confirmed the titles, the website would be updated “in due course”. At the time of the late Queen’s death and the King’s accession, a spokesman for the King pledged to update Archie and Lilibet’s names on the site “as and when we get information”.

[From The Times]

This is the first we’re hearing about the Sussexes’ HRHs being “in abeyance.” I believe the palace is playing fast and loose on that issue – QEII never removed Harry and Meghan’s HRHs, but they “agreed” to simply not USE their HRH styles. Which is not the same thing as their HRHs being in abeyance. And no, I would not expect Archie and Lili to have HRHs. Who cares, they’re American kids. It’s funny to watch the palace try to do damage control and try to play both sides here, when Charles’s people have been trying to use the kids’ titles as a bargaining chip to manipulate Harry for MONTHS. Some of you believe this was Harry publicly challenging his father: now that we’re publicly referring to Lili and Archie as Princess and Prince, are you going to change the Letters Patent just to publicly deny titles to your mixed race grandchildren?

Photos courtesy of SussexRoyal IG, Cover Images, Netflix, Misan Harriman/The Sussexes.