ROYAL BLOCK
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ‘fear Charles will refuse to make Archie a Prince even after Queen dies and he should do’
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry fear Charles will refuse to make Archie a Prince, it was claimed today.
Under current Royal rules, Archie would be made a prince or receive a HRH title when Prince Charles becomes king.
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But the Times today reported the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are concerned that the convention would be changed when the Queen dies.
During the explosive interview with Oprah, Meghan claimed: "While I was pregnant they said they wanted to change the convention for Archie."
A Royal decree dating back more than a century states only Royal offspring in direct line of succession can be princes or become an HRH - which excludes Archie automatically.
Under the rules laid down by King George V in 1917, only Prince William and Kate’s eldest son Prince George were originally entitled to be a prince.
The Queen stepped in ahead of George's birth in 2013 to issue a Letters Patent to ensure George's siblings Charlotte and Louis would have fitting titles as children of the future king.
Under the George V rules, Archie will be entitled to be an HRH or a prince - but not until his grandfather Charles takes the throne.
However, it was reported that the Sussexes believe Prince Charles wanted to change the convention.
Prince Charles, 72, is claimed to want to have a slimmed-down monarchy when he takes the throne - therefore reducing the burden on the taxpayer and helping to justify the Firm.
But the Times reported no royal sources had confirmed Meghan's claims, with one saying they were unaware of such conversations.
The Sun Online has contacted Clarence House and the Sussexes for comment.
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It comes after it was reported
The 72-year-old is understood to be 'deeply concerned' about the racism allegations raised by the Sussexes - but his trust has 'eroded' in the couple after their interview with Oprah Winfrey.
A source claimed that the Prince of Wales had gone "out of his way to make sure his son and daughter in law were financially supported".
Archie is seventh in line to the throne, behind his dad.
The Oprah interview saw startling claims emerge about the Royal Family - including that "concerns and conversations" had been had about the colour of Archie's skin before he was born.
And she said the only reason she was concerned about her son receiving a title was because having security.
Meghan, 39, said: "But the idea of our son not being safe, and also the idea of the first member of colour in this family not being titled in the same way that other grandchildren would be ...
"You know, the other piece of that conversation is, there’s a convention — I forget if it was George V or George VI convention — that when you’re the grandchild of the monarch, so when Harry’s dad becomes king, automatically Archie and our next baby would become prince or princess, or whatever they were going to be."
She said it had not been their decision to not give Archie a prince title.
However, sources told the newspaper that Archie's title had nothing to do with security - saying it was a matter for Scotland Yard and the home secretary.
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When Archie was born in 2019, it was reported that Meghan and Harry chose not to use a title for their son.
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Instead, he is simply known as Master Archie after his parents decided not to give him one of the Duke of Sussex's lesser titles, the Earl of Dumbarton.
This signalled the couple wanted their child to be a “private citizen”.
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Meghan Markle reveals royal family raised concerns over how dark Archie's skin would be before he was born
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