Prince Louis could be granted top honour after King Charles' royal shake-up

King Charles' recent title changes in the Royal Family have made waves, with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, gaining official titles.

In addition, Prince Edward has been granted the title of Duke of Edinburgh, which will only last for his lifetime and not pass to his son, paving the way for it to be given to one of the Prince and Princess of Wales's children.

Harry and Meghan's children are now Prince and Princess

According to the Telegraph, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children have officially become Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, despite the rift between their parents and the British monarchy.

The news comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex held a small ceremony at their home in California to christen Lilibet. Notably, senior working members of the royal family, including Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William or Kate Middleton did not attend the christening.

The regulations on naming Princes and Princesses within the royal family were established in 1917 by King George V. The rules indicate that children and grandchildren of a reigning monarch are bestowed the titles of His/Her Royal Highness (HRH), as well as Prince and Princess titles, and the eldest great-grandchild in the direct line of succession.

Before the recent shake-up, Harry and Meghan's children were not entitled to be called Prince and Princess. When Archie was born, he did not obtain a Prince title because he was a great-grandchild who was not in the direct line of succession. However, after the Queen's death, he and Lilibet were considered grandchildren and were thus qualified for the titles, reports the New York Times.

Prince Edward granted new title

Following King Charles' ascension, the title of Duke of Edinburgh was conferred on Prince Edward, who is 13th in line to the throne and was previously the Earl of Wessex and Forfar.

Marie Claire reports that a duke is the highest ranking member of the English nobility, followed by marquesses, earls, viscounts and barons. It means that Edward is expected to play a more prominent role in the royal family

According to the Times, the title change comes in celebration of his 59th birthday, honoring the late Queen and Prince Philip's wishes. This has seen Edward's wife, Sophie, become the Duchess of Edinburgh, and their son James, Viscount Severn, the new Earl of Wessex.

However, Edward's Edinburgh title will not be hereditary, and when he passes away, the title will revert to the Crown instead of being passed to his son, James.

As a result, one of the Prince and Princess of Wales's children will potentially be given the title in the future, and Prince Louis - the youngest of them all, is most likely candidate. Meanwhile, his elder brother Prince George is set to be a future King, and Princess Charlotte will one day be made Princess Royal.

The Queen's exception for William's children

According to the Mirror, Prince Louis, currently fourth in line to the throne only became a prince when he was born thanks to his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Similar to the case of Harry and Meghan's children, this stems from a rule that King George V put in place in 1917, which stated that only the children and grandchildren of the sovereign were entitled to be called Prince or Princess, while great-grandchildren were not included in this rule.

However, Queen Elizabeth II intervened and extended the change to all of Prince William and Kate Middleton's children. That's why we have been calling the William and Kate's children Prince and Princess since birth, unlike Harry and Meghan's children.

Read more:

⋙ Prince Harry and Meghan will no longer have a royal residence in the UK

⋙ The little-known titles you never knew the Royal Family has

⋙ King Charles may give Princess Charlotte a new special title

⋙ Prince George and Princess Charlotte won’t be called by their royal titles in new school