Despite an ever-deepening rift with the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s kids are now officially a prince and princess — titles their mom bitterly suggested had been withheld because of race.
The titles emerged Wednesday when a spokesperson for the exiled royals confirmed “that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened” in California on Friday, without her royal relatives flying in from the UK.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie’s titles are official, and will be updated later on the royal family’s website, where they were still “master” and “miss” on Wednesday.
Despite being used for the first time Wednesday, the young royals were officially free to use them once their grandfather, King Charles III, ascended to the throne in September after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The palace waited for Harry and Meghan to take the lead by using the titles first, sources told The Times of London.
It comes despite the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s ever-growing rift with Harry’s family, leaving it unclear if they will even attend his dad Charles’ coronation as king.
Markle had used the lack of a “prince” title for Archie — who turns 4 in May — to justify some of her most explosive attacks against the royals in her initial interview with Oprah Winfrey.
When asked if the lack of title — and the security that comes with it — was “because of his race,” Markle appeared to agree.
“All around this same time — we have in tandem the conversation of, ‘He won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title,’ and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born,” replied the former actress, whose mother is black.
However, royal experts quickly pointed out that Archie had been too far down the line of succession to get the title, which changed when they rose the ranks once their grandfather became king.
Archie is sixth in line for the throne, one place ahead of his sister, who turns two in June.
Despite now being prince and princess, neither are a His or Her Royal Highness, or HRH, the UK Times said.
“The use of the style HRH would come through their father and the Duke of Sussex’s HRH is in abeyance,” a palace source told the UK paper of the decision after he quit life as a senior royal.
Lilibet was christened by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor, at a “small and intimate ceremony” in the family’s mansion in swanky Montecito, California, People mag said.
Guests included stars like Tyler Perry, who is Lilibet’s godfather — but not Harry’s dad, Charles, mother-in-law Queen Camilla or brother, Prince William.
The royals were all invited but did not attend, a source told People.
With Post wires
