This announcement marks the first time that she has been publicly referred to as a princess, and confirms that Harry and Meghan will use royal titles for their children.
According to their spokesperson, members of the Royal Family were invited to the christening, but it appears that none were in attendance. Although Lilibet was not born a princess due to not being a granddaughter of the monarch, she gained the right to that title when King Charles acceded to the throne. As a result, Buckingham Palace has stated that the royal website will be updated to reflect this change.
Lilibet is the second child of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who relocated to the United States following their decision to step down as working royals in 2020. Their son, Archie, was born in May of 2019.
As for the children’s titles, Harry and Meghan are reportedly leaving the decision up to them to decide when they are older. While the couple won’t use the titles conversationally, their children will be referred to as prince and princess in formal contexts. It is currently unclear whether or not they are entitled to use the HRH styling, given that their father has not used it since quitting his royal duties.
The christening was presided over by the Right Reverend John Harvey Taylor, the Bishop of Los Angeles, who worked in the office of former US President Richard Nixon before being ordained.
Whether or not the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will travel to the UK for the King and Queen Consort’s coronation is currently up in the air. However, one thing is clear: their children are now officially titled as royalty and will likely play a prominent role in their family’s future.
