Royal fans are reportedly pushing back against calls to refer to Meghan Markle as Princess Meghan in a new development. Markle married Prince Harry in 2018 and received the title of Duchess of Sussex.
The couple stepped down as working royals in January 2020 and relocated to the United States. Although Harry and Meghan reportedly returned to the UK on August 26, they have not rejoined the royal family as working royals. Now, a new report suggests that some British royal fans are opposed to referring to Meghan as “Princess Meghan.”
Royal fans give their verdict on whether Meghan Markle should be called princess
British royal fans have rejected the idea of Meghan Markle being given the title of Princess in a new poll. On October 27, The Daily Express asked readers, “Should Meghan Markle be styled as a Princess?” The poll remained open for 24 hours, from October 27 to 28, and the results revealed a clear preference among participants.
An overwhelming 97 percent of voters answered no. Meanwhile, just 2 percent supported the idea. The remaining 1 percent said they were unsure or had no opinion on the matter.
Beyond the poll results, several readers also expressed their disapproval in the comments section. Some users argued that the “Suits” star did not deserve to be called a Princess. This further reflected the opposition expressed in the poll.
The outlet also explained that Meghan cannot use the title of Princess in the same way as someone born into the royal family. Under British royal naming conventions, the style of Princess followed by a first name is generally reserved for women who hold the title in their own right, rather than those who marry into the family.
However, women who marry princes may use titles associated with their husbands. For instance, Kate Middleton is commonly referred to as Catherine, Princess of Wales. While sometimes being referred as Princess Catherine in the media. However, her formal title reflects her marriage to Prince William rather than her birth into the royal family.
Similarly, Meghan and Prince Harry’s children, Archie and Lilibet, hold the titles of Prince and Princess through their father. Their titles remained in place even after their parents stepped down as working royals and relocated to California.
King Charles kept Harry and Meghan as non-working royals, meaning they no longer carry out official royal duties. They also agreed not to use their HRH titles for official purposes after stepping back from royal life, according to the BBC.
