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Prince Harry’s page on the royal family’s website has been updated to remove the title “His Royal Highness”.
Last week, it was reported by Express that the Duke of Sussex was still being referred to by his HRH title in a bio on the royal family’s website. However, on Tuesday, the outlet reported that the bio had been quietly updated, with two references to Harry’s former title removed.
The references, which were both linked to Harry’s work to raise awareness around HIV/AIDS in 2016 according to People, have since been updated to refer to the duke as “the duke” or “the Duke of Sussex”. Prince Harry received his dukedom in 2018, following his and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding.
The website was also recently altered to reflect the current titles of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Prior to the tweak, the couple was referred to as the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, the titles they held prior to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, according to the outlet. Similarly, references to Prince William and Kate as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been updated to reflect the couple’s titles as the Prince and Princess of Wales.
In a statement to Express, the Palace said: “The Royal Family website contains over five thousand pages of information about the life and work of the Royal Family. Following the death of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, content has been revisited and updated periodically. Some content may be out of date until this process is complete.”
The update to the royal family’s website comes after Prince Harry and Meghan announced their intention to step back from their roles as senior royals in January 2020. Shortly after their decision, it was announced by Buckingham Palace that the Sussexes would no longer use their HRH titles.
The official statement, issued by the Palace on 18 January 2020, read: “The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the royal family.”
In September 2022, profiles for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were moved to the bottom of the royal family’s website.
When the couple announced their decision to step back from their royal roles, the Duke of Sussex expressed his desire to be called “Just Harry”.
Although Harry no longer uses his HRH title, he has retained his place as fifth in the line of succession to the throne. Harry currently sits behind his brother Prince William and the Prince and Princess of Wales’ three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five. Behind Harry in line for the throne are his and Meghan’s children: Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two.
Although the pair chose to step away from royal life and relocate to California, their two children had title changes once King Charles ascended the throne. Previously on the royal website, visitors would see “Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor” and “Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor”. However, the references were updated in March to reflect their titles as prince and princess.
The titles were delayed due to a precedent originally set by King George V when he issued a Letters Patent in 1917. This restricts the titles of prince and princess to only male line grandchildren of the sovereign. Because the two were born during Queen Elizabeth’s reign, they were not given the titles. This changed once King Charles ascended the throne and they then became the grandchildren of the current monarch.
“The children’s titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch,” a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told People at the time. “This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace.”
The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace and a representative for the Sussexes for comment.