Prince Harry and Archie: Expert discusses line of succession
During the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s bombshell interview, Meghan claimed the Royal Family “didn’t want” Archie to be a prince. Speaking to Oprah, Meghan added this conversation was taking place in tandem with “concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie’s] skin might be when he’s born”.
However, royal historian Marlene Koenig pointed out racism has nothing to do with the issue of Archie’s title, as the monarch who fleshed out the regulation on titles by which the Royal Family still abide died in 1936.
She told Hollywood Life: “This is not a racial issue. Meghan tried to make it that, but [it] wasn’t.
“Press coverage, yes, but not the issue about Archie, because that has been long-planned.”
Ms Koenig said King George V, who ruled between 1910 to 1936, issued a document aiming at slimming down the number of people holding a title in 1917 – his Letters Patent.
Archie title: Archie with his parents during their tour to South Africa (Image: GETTY)
Archie title: Meghan Markle and Oprah during the interview (Image: GETTY/HARPO PRODUCTIONS)
Speaking about this move, Ms Koenig said: “It’s just a document, because the sovereign is known as the fount of all honours.
“The succession to the throne is through legislation. Titles come from the sovereign.”
Those Letters Patent declared all the grandchildren in the male line of the monarch would receive a title.
The only great-grandchild of the sovereign to receive…
