Big news around the palace. The official birth certificate of the new royal baby, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, has been released for the world to see. That’s great and all, but did you see what his mom listed as her occupation?
Meghan Markle used her full name on the birth certificate: Rachel Meghan Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex. But in the “occupation” box, Meghan is referred to as “Princess of the United Kingdom.”
When Meghan and Harry’s in-laws, Prince William and Kate Middleton, welcomed Prince Louis last year, his birth certificate listed him as “His Royal Highness Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge.” Kate and William were referred to as “His Royal Highness Prince William Arthur Philip Louis Duke of Cambridge” and “Catherine Elizabeth Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge.” Although Kate and Meghan use the title of Duchess, they are also princesses by default, since both of their husbands are princes.
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According to the Daily Express, the reason that Kate isn’t known as “Her Royal Highness Princess Catherine” is probably the same reason Meghan isn’t: It’s not the highest ranking title. Just like “prince” isn’t always the highest title for a man of the monarchy.
Take Princess Diana for instance. When she married Prince Charles, she became known as Diana, Princess of Wales, because Charles in the head of a principality — Wales — unlike his son, Prince William. Instead, William was made Duke of Cambridge when he married Kate, which is a higher rank that many price or princess titles (such as Princess Eugenie, the daughter of Prince Andrew, who is not higher ranking that Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge).
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“Every wife of a prince is a princess regardless of how she is styled,” royal historian and Royal Musings founder Marlene Koenig tells BAZAAR.com.
“William is styled as the Duke of Cambridge but he has not stopped being a prince because he is a grandson of the sovereign in the male line. He is styled as Duke of Cambridge for now. Same for Harry, as Duke of Sussex.”
It’s a little confusing, for the same reason baby Archie is known as “Master” and not “Earl of Dumbarton”, which he is entitled to. No wonder members of the royal family don’t use last names. They have enough already.
