Meghan Markle

On Monday October 15th, Kensington Palace announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their first child due in Spring 2019! The baby news comes only 5 months after their dreamy royal wedding which we all watched in absolute awe.

Meghan Markle

We know you cried by the way, don’t lie! (We did too)

However, as great as the baby news is, you should know that if their Royal Highnesses Harry and Meghan have a baby girl, neither she or any of their future daughters will have royal titles.

Confused? So were we! But now we know why and you should too:

The Royal Titles Law

Basically, the United Kingdom’s current peerage system makes it particularly difficult for girls to be able to inherit their parents’ titles. For instance, Harry and Meghan’s daughters could only be given the honorary title ‘Lady’. Whereas their sons will automatically inherit Prince Harry’s dukedom. So much for feminism, right? 

Additionally, neither the son will inherit the ‘prince’ title, since he will be too far from the throne line anyway according to the laws; but unlike the daughter, he can and will inherit his father dukedom as mentioned above.

Meaning that should Harry and Meghan only have baby girls; it will automatically result in the gradual vanishing of the Royal titles ‘Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Earl and Countess of Dumbarton, and Baron and Baroness Kilkeel’.

The newlyweds are entirely helpless in this case, which applies to anyone with royal titles in the kingdom. However, the issue can be resolved should the queen decide to step in with a different decision, like she did with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, William and Kate’s children.

However, speaking of feminism, Markle’s feminist reputation is very widely known and applauded, way before she married the prince. Will that help her in changing the queen’s mind though?

Meghan Markle

On a similar note, according to the Crown Act law amendment in 2013, the crown succession in the UK is strictly based on birth order, not gender, unlike the peerage that apparently favors males in this case. This put Princess Charlotte in line to the throne before her younger brother Prince Louis.

‘Thunder Stealing?’

In a related context, another controversial topic lies on top of the Harry and Meghan child news. As it was reported that the couple announced the pregnancy to the family on Princess Eugenie’s wedding day, last October 12th, many social media users strongly disliked the situation, considering it a case of “Stealing the bride’s thunder”. Do you agree?

Anyway, we wish the Duke and Duchess of Sussex all the best, and we just CANNOT wait to witness the birth of royal baby number FOUR from the prince of Wales’ descendants! Do you think the queen will step in to adjust the royal titles law? Who knows! Share your thoughts with us. 

Sources:
Eyewitness
Independent
Mirror
Express