Prince Harry, Meghan Markle's Kids Granted Right to Prince and Princess Titles as King Charles Ascends Throne

A 1917 law by King George stipulates that the children of the son of a sovereign shall have HRH titles if they so choose.

As King Charles III takes his place on the throne, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children -- 3-year-old Archie and 1-year-old Lilibet -- now hold the right to be named Prince and Princess. 

According to a 1917 law from King George V -- also known as the George V Convention or 1917 Letters Patent -- the children of a Sovereign and the children of a Sovereign's sons are entitled to HRH style titles and the distinction of a Prince or Princess prefix to their name. 

However, it will be up to Harry and Meghan -- still known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex -- to choose whether their little ones will, in fact, use said titles. As it stands, their children are now the first-ever Prince and Princess of Sussex.

There has been speculation that with Charles becoming the king, that he might amend this long-held law to limit the number of key royals and set firm expectations of what roles a prince and princess are expected to fulfill in the modern monarchy. In order to do this, though, Charles would need to issue a Letters Patent specifically amending Archie and Lili's right to be called Prince and Princess. 

Meghan previously addressed Archie's lack of a prince title in her bombshell sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey last year. At the time, the child was too far down the line of succession to be entitled to the name. Now, Archie ranks sixth in order of succession to the throne behind Prince William, his three children, and Prince Harry.

In the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's death on Thursday, her eldest son Charles -- formerly the Prince of Wales -- was automatically and immediately named King. His wife, Camilla, formerly the Duchess of Cornwall, is now known as Queen Consort. 

Charles' eldest son and his wife -- Prince William and Kate Middleton -- were formerly known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, respectively. They are now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge and, eventually, will assume the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales. 

Their children -- Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis -- will also receive royal name changes. All three have now added "of Cornwall" to the ends of their names. They will, too, eventually become Prince George of Wales, Prince Charlotte of Wales and Prince Louis of Wales. 

Meanwhile, Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, will become the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. 

For updates on Queen Elizabeth's death, check out ET's ongoing coverage and see more below.

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