Meghan Markle dropped her royal title on Lilibet's birth certificate

On Lilibet's birth certificate, Meghan Markle makes a clear break with the British monarchy by making no mention of her status as duchess.

Meghan Markle dropped her royal title on Lilibet's birth certificate
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Meghan Markle dropped her royal title on Lilibet's birth certificate

For over a year, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been building a life away from the British royal family. While the Duke of Sussex has had to travel to the UK twice in recent months, his wife has been keeping her distance. The birth certificate of their daughter, born on 4 June, is proof of this.

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Lilibet's birth certificate

While we learn more about the details of Lilibet's birth, there are other eye-catching details. Unlike Archie's birth certificate, Meghan Markle does not mention her royal titles, apart from princess. She only lists her full name, Rachel Meghan Markle, unlike her husband, who lists himself as Duke of Sussex with the predicate of Royal Highness.

In May 2019, when Archie was born, the former Suits actress did things differently, and introduced herself on official documents as 'Rachel Meghan Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Sussex'. A title she still retains, but which she can no longer use under the agreements made with Elizabeth II since her 'resignation' from the Firm.

Despite the disagreements and tensions, Archie and Lilibet are still expected to inherit their parents' royal titles. When Prince Charles assumes the throne, both children will be able to bear the title of Prince and Princess.

Lilibet will have a royal title

A detail that is far from trivial, according to historian Robert Lacey. Prince Charles is not expected to challenge the tradition, even though his son Harry regularly makes harsh comments about him. Lacey, author of the recent Battle of Brothers, said:

I don't think he will make the unpopular and hostile decision to remove the royal status of his grandchildren.

For their part, Meghan and Harry are keeping their distance and shared some words about Lilibet's birth on the Archewell website. They wrote:

On the 4th of June we were lucky enough to welcome our daughter Lili.
She is more than we could have imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we have felt from around the world. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.
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