John Lemuel Celebrity, Royals

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle demoted after Queen Elizabeth II’s death: Ex-couple lower than lesser-known royals

WELLINGTON, NZ - OCTOBER 28: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex lay ferns and a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Warrior at the newly unveiled UK war memorial and Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, on October 28, 2018, in Wellington, New Zealand. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on their official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. (Photo by Rosa Woods - Pool/Getty Images)

As King Charles III ascended to the throne, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were dealt a major setback.

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the royal family website updated its page to reflect on the recent loss. It has since been updated to commemorate the start of King Charles III’s reign.

Prince Harry and Meghan were originally listed after Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales. However, because they remained non-working royals under the new monarch’s rule, their names were pushed after Princess Alexandra and The Duke of Kent.

Meanwhile, Prince Andrew appeared near the end of the list.

The list begins with King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, followed by Prince William and the Princess of Wales.

Instead of the Sussexes, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward and Sophie, appeared after the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth II’s only daughter, appeared above the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

Before the revamping, a spokesman for King Charles III stated:

“Updating live on a website doesn’t quite work. We will be working through updating the website as and when we get information.”

The move was not surprising, though, as Prince Harry and Meghan infamously gave up their royal roles to move to the US. The same is true for Prince Andrew, who lost his HRH status as a result of Virginia Giuffre’s allegations.

In 1917, King George V issued the Letters Patent, which determined who among the members received a royal title.

They had the titles “Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor” and “Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor” during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Still, now that their grandfather, King Charles III, is the new monarch, they could be called a Prince or Princess.

The rule reads:

“The grandchildren of the sons of any such sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of dukes of these our realms.”

Since the Megxit, there have been debates over the two children’s titles.

The monarch could change the rule, but a spokesperson clarified that nothing would still be decided amid Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. Even though the period has ended, no update has been released.