Meghan Markle will be carrying the title of Princess Meghan if she were to drop her Duchess of Sussex title and to be addressed as a "princess" will carry more appeal on the "world stage," a historian said.
Professor Kate Williams of the University of Reading explained on her social media account that Markle will automatically take on "Princess Henry of Wales" as her formal title, or "Princess Meghan of Wales," or simply "Princess Meghan" in general conversations. This is because her husband, Prince Harry, cannot be stripped of the title of "prince" as he was born with it.
She reminded the public that it would take an act from the Parliament to remove Harry and Markle's given titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. She said that it's a complex process, and right now, the government does not want to get involved in this royal family drama.
The professor also said that stripping the couple off their given titles, from Queen Elizabeth as a wedding gift, would backfire because then Harry and Markle would have to be addressed as prince and princess. The public has been asking for Harry and Meghan Markle to stop using their royal names amid their criticism of the royal family and the institution.
In a recent podcast, Harry compared his royal life to being in the zoo. He also said that he experienced a cycle of pain and suffering because of his father's parenting style, which also reflected on the parenting style of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
The British public had been appalled by Harry's revelations because it seemed like a slight to his grandmother and his late grandfather. Palace aides said that if he has so much loathing for the royal institution, he should stop using his titles.
However, a senior royal aide spoke to the Evening Standard and said that Buckingham Palace has "no appetite" for this issue. The couple discussed their position and titles with the queen many months ago, and the agreement stands.
Meanwhile, other royal fans said that their biggest issue is not with the titles but the fact that Harry remains in the line of succession as the sixth to the throne. It will take one horrible accident involving William and his three children for Harry to step up as the future king and that's not what they want.
However, there are also precedents in the royal family where one child of Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth's great-grandmother at least three times over, relinquished her princess status. But as the professor said, this is a complex and nuanced process especially with Harry's ranking as a male royal.