Prince Harry and Meghan Markle "Blindsided" the Royal Family

(Image credit: Getty)

published 10 March 2023

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle unexpectedly called their daughter Lilibet "princess" in a statement confirming the little girl had been christened last week.

But while a rep for the Sussexes claimed this was based on an agreement with King Charles that their children should be known as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, one source now says that the Royal Family felt "blindsided" by the move.

The insider told OK! that Harry had a "casual conversation" with his father the King after the Queen passed, but that they hadn't reached the kind of agreement the Sussexes claimed they had.

In a statement, the royal couple previously said, "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."

Shortly after that statement was released, the Palace said it would update the children's names in the line of succession "in due course," which turned out to be no more than a few hours.

But if OK!'s source is to be believed, the King feels his hand was forced by Harry and Meghan's decision to call their daughter "Princess Lilibet" in a public statement.

"King Charles feels railroaded," the source said. "As far as he was concerned the title matter had not yet been resolved."

Lili was christened in Los Angeles last Friday, but none of the U.K.-based royals attended.

"They [the Royal Family] knew the christening was taking place but couldn't attend due to work commitments. They were invited at the very last minute," the source said.

"They had no idea that the title would be used in an official capacity."

Commentators have previously corroborated the idea that the royals skipped the christening because of their packed schedules, rather than to slight the Sussexes.

"Royal diaries are planned over a year in advance so they can fulfill official functions and support the immense amount of charities they visit each year. And then there is the small matter of planning for the coronation," royal historian Mok O'Keeffe previously told Marie Claire.

"I doubt this is in any way a snub—just a case of diary clashes."

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.