The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have started using the titles of Prince and Princess for their children Archie and Lilibet.
Harry and Meghan’s children became prince and princess when the king came to the throne, but have remained a mere ‘master’ and ‘miss’ on the Buckingham Palace website for the past six months.
The Palace has confirmed that the site’s estate list will now be updated to reflect the change after a spokesperson for the Sussexes publicly referred to Lili as a princess for the first time today when the news was announced. of his baptism.
Here, MailOnline examines some of the key questions surrounding the news:
What is Lilibet’s full name?
Lilibet, known as “Lili”, was listed as “Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor” on her California birth certificate.
Buckingham Palace currently refers to her on the royal website as “Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor”.
A photograph released by Archewell of Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, after celebrating her first birthday in June last year
What do Harry and Meghan call Lilibet?
Lili was described as ‘Princess Lilibet Diana’ in a statement from a spokesperson for the couple today, who confirmed her christening last Friday.
It was the first time Lili had been publicly referred to as a princess.
Although it is understood that the title Princess will be used in formal settings, it will not be used in daily conversation by the couple.
She will therefore probably still be known as “Lilibet” in most scenarios.
Will Lilibet be able to choose her title when she is older?
It is understood that Harry and Meghan are keen not to deny their children their birthright, but to give them the opportunity to decide for themselves when they are older whether to give up or continue using the titles.
It will therefore be up to Lilibet to decide if she wants to describe herself as a princess.
So is Lilibet officially a princess?
Yes, Harry and Meghan’s children Archie and Lilibet became Prince and Princess respectively when King Charles took the throne last September.
However, it’s only now that the couple have chosen to use the title.
Why can she be a princess?
Rules set by King George V in 1917 mean that Archie and Lili, as children of a sovereign’s son, are automatically a prince and princess.
The first photo of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s daughter, Lilibet, was released in a Christmas card on December 23, 2021
What did Buckingham Palace say?
Buckingham Palace said the royal website “will now be updated in due course” to reflect the titles – making Lilibet a princess.
Previously, at the time of the late Queen’s death and the King’s accession last year, a spokesperson for the King pledged to update the names of Archie and Lilibet on the site “at as we get more information.”
What have the couple already said on the matter?
Meghan said in the couple’s explosive interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey in 2021 that Archie was not given the title of prince because of his race.
However, when Archie was born seventh to the throne in May 2019, he was too far down the line of succession.
Although he was a great-grandson of the monarch, he was not the eldest son of a future king, so he was not automatically a prince.
Does Lilibet have the RHS title?
Lilibet also now has an HRH – Her Royal Highness – style if she wants to use it.
But he also understood that HRH would be “held in abeyance,” which describes a state of temporary disuse.
‘Lili’ was baptized by the Bishop of Los Angeles, Reverend John Taylor
Who baptized Lilibet?
The couple’s statement says Lilibet was “baptized on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Reverend John Taylor.”
But Reverend Taylor is actually the Bishop of Los Angeles in the Episcopal Church in the United States, which is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
The Archbishop of Los Angeles is Bishop José H. Gomez, who leads the largest Catholic community in the United States.
Does this mean that Lilibet will never be able to join the Church of England?
Holding the ceremony in the United States means that Lilibet will not automatically be considered a “member” of the Church of England.
But she could later join a Church of England congregation if she came to Britain.
Should Lilibet be baptized in a Church of England ceremony in the future?
No. Since the Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, baptism in the United States is valid in the United Kingdom.
A royal baby also does not need to be baptized in a Church of England church to enter the royal line of succession.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their son Archie after his christening in July 2019
Is Meghan part of the Church of England?
Meghan attended a Catholic high school in the United States, but was baptized and confirmed into the Church of England in a private ceremony conducted by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby before her wedding in 2018.
The intimate 45-minute service took place at the Royal Chapel.
Where and when did Lilibet’s baptism take place?
The christening took place privately at the Sussex home in Montecito, Calif., on Friday, March 3.
Who attended the baptism?
People magazine reported that there were between 20 and 30 guests at the event, including Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, and Lilibet’s godfather, Tyler Perry.
Royal journalist Omid Scobie, close to the Sussexes, reported that “King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate were invited but did not attend”.
It is not known whether other members of the royal family were present.
Where was Archie baptized?
Lilibet’s brother Archie was baptized by the Archbishop of Canterbury at St George’s Chapel, Windsor in July 2019.
What is a baptism?
A christening is defined by the Collins Dictionary as a “Christian ceremony in which a baby becomes a member of the Christian Church and officially receives his or her name.”
The Episcopal Church describes a baptism as a parent’s “commitment to your faith on behalf of your child.”
