The Sussex Kids Are Officially Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 9 March 2023

Soon after a spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially confirmed that their daughter Lilibet had been christened in Los Angeles—via a statement that called her a "princess"—the Royal Family updated the line of succession webpage.

It now lists "Prince Archie of Sussex" as sixth in line to the throne, and "Princess Lilibet of Sussex" as seventh in line. Let's all agree right here and now that these are the coolest-sounding titles ever.

The Sussex kids are next in line after their uncle Prince William, their cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis (all of Wales), and their father Prince Harry.

Lilibet was christened last week, with a Sussex spokesperson saying, "I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor."

The use of the "princess" appellation here surprised royal fans, but the Sussexes defended the choice of wording with the following statement: "The children’s titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became Monarch. This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace" (via Express).

Until now, it was unclear whether Archie and Lili would use these titles (which they have indeed been entitled to since September). The King could have issued letters patent to prevent them from using the titles, but instead he reportedly agreed that his two youngest grandchildren could use their new names.

According to Hello!, this bilateral decision was made in December, a month before Harry's explosive memoir Spare was published. This is significant, because the book contains a slew of shock revelations about the King and the Prince of Wales.

Instead of disallowing Archie and Lili from being known as "prince" and "princess," it looks like the King chose to evict the Sussexes from their U.K. home as a result of the memoir.

The BBC reports that Harry and Meghan will let their children choose whether they want to continue to use their titles when they are old enough to decide for themselves, and that they will only use these titles in official or formal contexts such as that of the christening.

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.