King Charles Reportedly Discussed Stripping Harry and Meghan of Their Royal Titles After Nigeria Trip

While Meghan Markle and Prince Harry finished up their trip to Nigeria and are settling back into their usual routine in Montecito, sources close to the royal family say that King Charles and Prince William are once again discussing the possibility of stripping the Sussexes of their titles.

The first time it came up was when Harry and Meghan decided to distance themselves from the royal family, and the Firm decided that they would no longer be referred to as His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness but allowed them to continue using Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Tom Quinn, royal expert and author of Scandals of the Royal Palaces: An Intimate Memoir of Royals Behaving Badly, told The Mirror that King Charles and Prince William “have had lengthy discussions about stripping Meghan and Harry of their royal titles, but they are terrified this would backfire and make the situation worse.”

Quinn added that even without the titles, Harry and Meghan would be able to continue their work and be able to travel—and that the Sussexes would be welcome with open arms just about anywhere they go.

“The last thing they want is to give the renegade royals something else to complain about,” he added. “William and his father know that even without their royal titles, Meghan and Harry would carry on traveling the world as if they were royals, and most people in the world will still welcome them.”

Even if Harry and Meghan were no longer able to use their titles, the public would more than likely continue to associate them with the royal family—much like how most people continue to refer to Kate Middleton as “Kate Middleton” and not Catherine, Princess of Wales or Duchess of Cambridge.

Although Harry and Meghan have stepped away from their previous positions as senior royals, they continue to use their titles. When the Sussexes re-launched their website, they included mentions of being the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and used imagery of a coat of arms. American Riviera Orchard, Meghan’s new brand of jam (and maybe more), also mentions that she’s the Duchess of Sussex on its Instagram page.