Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children will not be given official roles when Prince William becomes King, insiders have claimed.
Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, currently live with their parents in Montecito, California.
Last month, insiders claimed to The Guardian that Harry wanted Archie and Lilibet to have HRH titles so when they are adults they retain the chance to become working royals, should they wish.
However, a report published in The Times over the weekend suggested that such a plan has sparked ‘bemusement in royal circles’, while William ‘doesn’t talk about his brother’ at all anymore.
Citing insiders, it adds: ‘Under the next reign, roles for Archie and Lili as working royals are unlikely.’
Archie and Lili have grown up away from the rest of the royal family and glimpses of them shared by Meghan on Instagram have shown they have American accents.
Former actress Meghan, 43, has started to share more and more frequent glimpses into the lives of her children – for example, filming them making Valentine’s Day treats together and sharing photos on their birthdays.
On their birth certificates, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s children are Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
However, the Guardian report claimed Harry and Meghan feared their children’s UK passports were being held up due to the inclusion of their HRH titles – and that they even considered changing their surname to ‘Spencer’ – a nod to Princess Diana – as a result.
At the time, when asked if there was any objection from Charles or aides to the passports being issued with the HRH titles, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘No’, but declined to comment further.
The Sussexes’ use of HRH has proved highly controversial because the couple are said to have reassured the Queen that they would not use the title after they emigrated to the US.
MailOnline revealed that Meghan Markle calls herself Her Royal Highness to friends – but has denied that in doing so she is flouting the Megxit deal agreed with the late monarch.
Meghan sparked controversy after her friend Jamie Kern Lima shared a picture of a food hamper with a note that said it was ‘With the compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussex’.
Although no laws were passed or documents signed to prevent their use, Harry and Meghan’s agreement with the late Queen and senior officials was that they would stop using the word ‘Royal’ and their HRH titles after they quit duties and emigrated to the US to become ‘financially independent’ from the Crown.
A spokesman for the Sussexes insisted that they do not use HRH titles for commercial purposes.
A source close to the royal couple suggested that the image shared by Jamie Kern Lima was taken before the Duchess launched her As Ever brand in early March.
In the podcast, Jamie Kern Lima claimed that she had been sent the jam last year.
The Sussexes have never had their HRH taken away by Queen Elizabeth II or King Charles.
The source close to the couple said that while Meghan and Harry do not publicly use ‘HRH’, their titles remain.
Elsewhere, a friend of the Prince of Wales – who celebrated his 43rd birthday on Saturday – said he no longer cares what his brother says about the Royal Family to the public.
‘It used to be that the family stuff was taking up a lot of space in his head, it was a very close relationship and he was very upset,’ the insider was quoted as saying in The Sunday Times story.
‘But he’s not letting it get to him at all any more. It is a change. It’s sad, but it’s a much healthier space for him to be at.’
The two brothers have barely spoken to each other since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the UK for the US and abandoned royal duties.
The rift was exacerbated by the publication of Harry’s memoir Spare that levelled accusations against his family.
Harry claimed that William, 42, branded Meghan ‘difficult’, ‘rude’ and ‘abrasive’, and even accused him of pushing him into a dog bowl.
The last time the warring brothers were publicly seen together was at the funeral for their uncle Robert Fellowes.
The youngest brother also reached out to William after his wife Kate Middleton’s shock cancer diagnosis.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were understood to have made contact with the Prince and Princess of Wales ‘privately’.
It was also claimed in the United States that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex only learnt about Kate’s condition at the same time the world heard the news.
Sources told the New York Post that the couple had ‘no idea’ about Kate’s illness.
Hours after the news, the couple released a short statement wishing the Princess of Wales and her family ‘health and healing’.
The couple said they hoped Kate and her family would be ‘able to do so privately and in peace’.
Most recently, Prince Harry gave a bombshell BBC interview where he revealed that the King ‘won’t speak to me because of this security stuff.’
Harry spoke to the BBC in Santa Barbara, California, after he lost a court of appeal over his and his family’s security arrangements on May 2.
The father-of-two commented on his troubled relationship with Charles, saying that he doesn’t know ‘how much longer’ there was left for his father, who is battling cancer.
‘Life is precious,’ he said. ‘I don’t know how much longer my father has, he won’t speak to me because of this security stuff. It would be nice to reconcile.’
William’s most recent milestone has been his 43rd birthday and tributes were posted by his father and wife, Kate Middleton.
Charles shared a believed-to-be unseen image of the heir – as well as a sweet message – via the Royal Family’s official X (formerly Twitter) account.
In the casual snap, the Prince of Wales is seen looking pensive as he sits outside in a field of grass in a rural setting.
Dressed in a button down pale blue shirt, as well as navy slacks, the royal’s informal look is further enhanced with his light beard.
The image was accompanied by a simple caption which read: ‘Happy Birthday to The Prince of Wales!’.
Kate also shared a snap and short written message.
The adorable image posted by Kate via the Wales’ Kensington Royal social media account shows the heir sitting in a field, while playing with a group of small puppies, whose mother is believed to be Orla, the Wales’ family dog.
In the image, the father-of-three az dressed casually, wearing jeans paired with a long-sleeved green button down shirt, as the puppies crawl over him sweetly.
The photograph was accompanied by a caption from the Princess of Wales and other members of their family.
It said: ‘Happy birthday! Love C, G, C, L, Orla and the puppies!’
The Prince of Wales enjoyed a busy week in the lead-up to his birthday, attending events including Trooping The Colour and Royal Ascot.
