London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Will No Longer Use Their Royal Titles And Will Repay UK Taxpayers $3 Million

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Will No Longer Use Their Royal Titles And Will Repay UK Taxpayers $3 Million

While they will still be known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, they will no longer be known as "their royal highnesses."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (aka Prince Harry and Meghan Markle) will no longer use their "royal highnesses" titles as they step back as working members of the royal family, and will repay UK taxpayers for the £2.4 million ($3.1 million) that was used to refurbish their home, Frogmore House, Buckingham Palace said in a statement Saturday.

The couple will still be known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but they will no longer formally represent the Queen or receive money from the Sovereign Grant, the annual funding given to the Queen by the government to cover the costs of the royal family's official expenses.

Although the exact figures of the couple's personal wealth have not been made public, Harry received £10 million ($13 million) from the estate of his mother, Princess Diana, in 2014. He also inherited approximately £7 million ($9 million) from his great-grandmother, the Queen Mother, upon her death in 2002. Meghan's net worth from her acting career has been estimated at around $5 million (£3.8 million).

They will keep Frogmore House, which is on the grounds of Windsor Castle, as their official residence in the UK, but they will now pay rent for the property.

As part of the requirement to step back from royal duties, Harry will lose his honorary military appointments. However, he and Meghan will continue their private patronages and associations with charitable organizations.

The statement refused to issued comment on the question of who will pay the couple's security costs in the future. "Buckingham Palace does not comment on the details of security arrangements. There are well established independent processes to determine the need for publicly-funded security."

The new arrangement will come into effect in spring of this year.

In addition to the official statement from Buckingham Palace, the Queen also released a personal statement about the Sussexes' decision, expressing her "whole family’s hope that today’s agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life."

She also appeared to acknowledge the difficulties that Harry and Meghan have experienced in the world's spotlight, and the toll they have said it has taken on their well-being.

"I recognize the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life," she said. "I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family."

"Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family," she said.

The Sussexes shared the Queen's personal statement on their official Instagram.

So what's the deal with their royal titles (referred to from here as HRH titles)? It's a bit confusing, but here's what it looks like so far.

Harry and Meghan are still the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Harry was just "Prince Harry of Wales" before he married. The Queen "confer[red] a dukedom" on him on the day he and Meghan got married. She's not taking the dukedom away from them.

Up until now, Harry and Meghan have been addressed as and referred to as Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Now, since they are no longer going to formally represent the Queen as working members of the royal family, they won't be using the HRH titles. They'll just be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Here's where it gets a bit complicated. Technically, because Prince Harry is the son of the Prince of Wales, per law, he's still a royal highness. And Meghan's married to him, so she's technically still a royal highness. The Queen would have issue a letters patent to change the law and formally remove their royal titles. She did this in 1996, removing the HRH titles of Princess Diana and Sarah, Duchess of York, following their respective divorces from Prince Charles and Prince Andrew — and clarifying in the law that all women who marry male descendants of the sovereign and then divorce will be stripped of their titles.

There is, however, a precedent for members of the royal family to not use and go by the titles that they technically possess. The best example of this is Prince Charles' wife, Camilla. Technically, she's the Princess of Wales, because she's married to the Prince of Wales. However, due to the close associations of the title "Princess of Wales" with the late Princess Diana, she chooses to just go by one of her other titles and is known as the Duchess of Cornwall.

TL;DR: Harry and Meghan are still the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. While they're technically still "their royal highnesses" under the letter of the law (for now), they're no longer going to call themselves or be referred to as "their royal highnesses" because they're stepping down from royal duties.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×