Piers Morgan has reignited the
debate over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal titles, arguing that the
Duke and Duchess of Sussex should lose them as the couple begins a new chapter
in Britain.
The broadcaster, who has long been
outspoken in his criticism of the Sussexes, said that if he were in King
Charles’s position, he would consider removing their titles.
His comments come amid renewed
attention on Harry and Meghan’s return to the United Kingdom with their
children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. After several years living in
California, the family has established a new base in Britain, while reports
indicate that the children are attending a British school. There are currently
no plans for Harry or Meghan to resume official working-royal duties.
Why Piers Morgan is raising the title question now
Speaking with royal commentator
Katie Nicholl on The
Royals Uncensored, Piers argued that the issue is no longer simply
about a family disagreement.
Instead, he framed it as a
question about the future of the British
monarchy, the responsibilities associated with royal status and
the distinction between being a member of the Royal Family and carrying out
official duties.
Morgan said he would try to repair
his relationship with Harry privately, but believed the institution itself
should be protected by removing the couple’s titles.
His argument places two very
different questions side by side: whether King Charles should continue
rebuilding a relationship with his son on a personal level, and whether Harry
and Meghan should retain the public status associated with their royal titles.
That distinction has become
increasingly relevant since the couple stepped back as working royals in 2020.
Their current return to Britain does not, according to public plans, amount to
a return to official royal service.
The Andrew comparison — and why Morgan says it is different
Morgan also pointed to the
treatment of Prince Andrew when discussing the precedent for removing royal
titles.
However, he was careful to
distinguish Harry and Meghan’s situation from the allegations and controversies
surrounding Andrew.
The comparison is therefore less
about equating the two situations and more about whether the monarchy can
impose consequences on members of the wider Royal Family whose public conduct
is considered damaging to the institution.
That distinction matters because royal titles, constitutional roles
and working-royal responsibilities are not identical things.
Harry and Meghan remain the Duke
and Duchess of Sussex, even though they are no longer working members of the
Royal Family. Their move back to Britain has not changed that arrangement.
The family are now living in the UK again (Image: Instagram / @meghan)
Harry and Meghan’s return changes the conversation
The Sussexes’ return has
nevertheless changed the backdrop against which these arguments are being made.
The couple and their children have
returned to Britain after years in California, with the family expected to
spend an extended period in the country. They are living privately rather than
moving into a royal residence, and their children have been enrolled in a
British school.
The decision has also renewed
questions about how Harry and Meghan intend to balance their British family
connections with their established life and business interests in the United
States.
Reports indicate that the couple
intends to retain their California home, meaning the move does not necessarily
represent a complete break with their American life.
That has fueled plenty of
commentary, but the couple has not publicly given a detailed explanation of
every motivation behind the move.
What is actually known about their new life in Britain
Some of the most reliable details
are considerably less dramatic than the speculation surrounding the move.
Harry and Meghan are not returning
as working royals. They are expected to live in a private residence outside
London, while Archie and Lilibet are beginning their education in Britain.
The move also brings Harry
physically closer to King Charles, with the family expected to spend more time
within reach of the King’s Highgrove base.
That proximity could create
opportunities for a closer relationship between Charles and his grandchildren,
even though other relationships within the Royal Family remain considerably
more complicated.
Prince William and Catherine,
Princess of Wales, are understood to be taking a cautious approach, with
reports suggesting that reconciliation between the brothers is not expected to
happen quickly.
The title debate may be bigger than Harry and Meghan
Morgan’s comments therefore raise
a question that goes beyond the Sussexes themselves.
What should happen when a person
retains a royal title but no longer performs official duties for the monarchy?
The modern Royal Family already
contains different categories of relatives: working royals, non-working
members, relatives with titles and individuals who have withdrawn from public
royal life.
Harry and Meghan occupy an unusual
position because they remain internationally prominent while operating largely
outside the official structure of the monarchy.
Their royal titles,
commercial activities, charitable work and public appearances continue to
attract enormous attention, even though they no longer represent the Crown in
the way working royals do.
That creates an unusual tension
between private independence and public association with the institution.
Charles faces a delicate balancing act
For King Charles, the issue is
especially sensitive.
The King has reportedly welcomed
the opportunity to spend more time with his son and grandchildren, and the
family has already had contact at Highgrove.
At the same time, the monarchy has
to protect its own public credibility and maintain a clear distinction between
official royal responsibilities and private family relationships.
Removing titles would be an
extraordinarily consequential decision. Keeping them, meanwhile, allows Harry
and Meghan to remain publicly identified with the Royal Family even while
pursuing an independent life.
That is precisely why Morgan’s
argument has found an audience among royal critics.
What happens next could be more important than the titles
For now, there is no indication
that King Charles intends to remove Harry and Meghan’s titles.
The immediate reality is that the
Sussexes are back in Britain, their children are entering British education and
the family is attempting to establish a more permanent connection with the
country while remaining outside the working monarchy.
Whether that eventually leads to a
genuine improvement in relations with the Royal Family is still unclear.
Morgan’s intervention has simply
reopened an argument that has followed Harry and Meghan for years: can the
couple build an independent life while continuing to carry titles that directly
connect them to the institution they stepped away from?
For the moment, the answer remains
yes.
But with the Sussexes now living much closer to the
heart of the British monarchy, the question of what those titles mean — and
whether they should continue to mean anything at all — is unlikely to
disappear.
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