Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been handed an “opportunity to revisit” previous claims about racism in the Royal Family following a bid for royal titles, a royal expert has claimed. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex last week revealed their children Archie and Lilibet have now taken on royal titles.
Newsweek’s royal podcast host Jack Royston suggested the couple could have an opportunity to chart a different course with the Firm since the George V convention enabled the Sussexes’ children to take on regal titles.
Speaking on the Royal Report podcast, Royston said: “I also wonder whether this might be an opportunity for Harry and Meghan to revisit this issue in a slightly more positive way.
“It has long occurred to me that Britain initially, and now America too, might be getting fed up.
“It’s fine to have criticisms, that’s fine, especially if those criticisms serve the public interest.
“But if you can only say negative things about that experience then that also begs a question about why you’re still connecting yourself to monarchy.”
He added: “Harry, even as recently as January, said he still believes in monarchy and even the act of using Prince and Princess titles is kind of, to an extent, an endorsement of the privileges that monarchy brings.
“If you’re going to acknowledge all of that and you’re going to continue to be connected to all of that then does it make sense to say something positive about the fact that these titles have been given after all.”
Archie and Lilibet were made Prince and Princess “some time” ago, a spokesperson for the Sussexes revealed.
They added: “The children’s titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch.
“This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace.”
Buckingham Palace has updated its website to include the titles to the sixth and seventh in line to the throne.
But, during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Meghan alleged Archie was blocked from being a Prince amid concerns about how “dark” he would be.
She said she was never given a reason why “the first member of colour in this family [was] not being titled in the same way that other grandchildren would be”.
But the George V convention would only enable her children to take on royal titles once King Charles succeeded Queen Elizabeth as monarch last September.
Prince Harry dialled down previous allegations about racism in the Royal Family ahead of the release of Spare in January.
When asked by ITV’s Tom Bradby about whether he accused the Firm of racism, the Duke said: “No I didn’t. The British press said that. Did Meghan ever mention they were racist?”
Meghan had claimed: “(There were) concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he was born.”
Express.co.uk has approached the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for comment.
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