Why Meghan And Harry's Royal Baby Might Not Get A Royal Title

As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex prepare for the arrival of their first royal baby, bets on what they'll name Baby Sussex are starting to come in. But many are wondering whether or not their child will receive a royal title from the Queen when the child arrives around the end of April.

As Harper's Bazaar points out, Prince Harry and Meghan's baby is unlikely to become a prince or princess, unlike the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Per royal history, George V's 1917 official order states only Prince Charles's eldest son should receive a royal title. Her Majesty altered that decree in December 2012 when she declared all of Kate and William's children would be given the title of His or Her Royal Highness, as well as prince or princess.

In the case of Baby Sussex, only a dukedom can be inherited if a baby boy is born. As for a little girl, she would become a Lady, like Lady Amelia Windsor, People reports. But just like for William and Kate's kids, the Queen could very well decide the upcoming royal bundle of joy is deserving of their own title, a request the parents-to-be may not choose to make.

When Princess Anne had her children, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, she requested the two decline a royal title—even though her mother, the Queen, made the offer. Zara, 37, opened up in 2015 to The Times about how the decision affected her life: “I’m very lucky that both my parents decided not to use the title and we grew up and did all the things that gave us the opportunity to do.” That included becoming a professional equestrian and medalist in the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games as a  member of the British eventing team.

Although the gift of royalty is one many would believe to be the ultimate present, Zara and her mother aren’t the only ones who see the other side. “It was a masterstroke of the Princess Royal when she decided not to give her children titles,” Dickie Arbiter, a former Buckingham Palace press secretary previously said. “Growing up as a commoner allowed Zara to thrive as her own woman, and there has never been pressure on her to conform. She has benefited from it in all sorts of ways.”