They're known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but on paper, things can be a bit different.
A month after the arrival of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's daughter Lilibet "Lili" Diana, the birth certificate for the newborn has been revealed. According to the document, published by TMZ, the California certificate contained much of the standard information, including the little one's name, sex, date of birth (June 4) and place of birth (Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital). For the names of the parents, Harry was listed as The Duke of Sussex His Royal Highness. Meanwhile, Lili's mom went without any royal distinction as her maiden name was entered: Rachel Meghan Markle. While this may raise eyebrows, it could also be a technicality, as the certificate asked for their birth names.
This was not the case when their first child, Archie Harrison, was born in 2019. At the time, the baby's birth certificate had Harry and Meghan listed as His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex and Rachel Meghan Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex. Meghan's first and middle names were later removed from that document.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Family Album
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In the process of stepping down from their roles as senior members of the royal family in 2020, the couple explained how they would be permitted to use their titles moving forward. "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will retain their 'HRH' prefix, thereby formally remaining known as His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex," their website explained. "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer actively use their HRH titles as they will no longer be working members of the family as of Spring 2020."
They have since, on occasion, gone without titles completely. In a June 2020 letter, they signed off simply as "Harry &Meghan." During an appearance at the Travalyst Sustainable Tourism Summit in Scotland in February 2020, host Ayesha Hazarika told the audience, "He's made it clear that we are all just to call him 'Harry,' so ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, warm, Scottish welcome to Harry."
