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Harry and Meghan Slammed by Expert For Decision About Their Kids' Royal Future: ‘It’s Hard to See…’

A royal expert has criticized Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to allow their children to have an open mind regarding their royal future.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties in 2020, leaving the Firm with their one-year-old son, Prince Archie. After settling in California, they welcomed Princess Lilibet in June 2021. Though no longer working royals, the couple has reportedly kept the door open for their children to one day serve the monarchy. Slamming the idea, royal expert Jennie Bond argued that, given their own painful experiences, the Sussexes shouldn’t even offer Archie and Lilibet the option of ‘re-joining’ the royal fold when they are older.

According to insiders, Harry and Markle reportedly want Archie and Lilibet to retain their royal titles if they ever choose to serve the Crown when they grow up. Speaking to The Mirror, Bond said, “I really don’t understand why, having extricated themselves from a life they did not enjoy and in which Harry has publicly spoken of 'feeling trapped', they want to give their children the option of re-joining.” She added, “It’s very hard to see how two children who are clearly now more American than British would want to change their whole way of life and become working members of the royal family.”

Harry’s wish for his children to decide on their own future first came to light in a report by The Guardian. The publication claimed that the Duke hence wanted to use the HRH titles for Archie and Lilibet in their passports. A source further dished that the Prince was allegedly so frustrated with the holdup of his kids' British passports that he approached Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, for advice. As per the source, Harry said, “My family are supposed to have the same name and they’re stopping that from happening because the kids are legally HRH, so if…this blows up and they won’t let the kids be called Sussex, then can we use Spencer as a surname?”

Commenting on his decision, Bond argued, “I think Harry has always been more Spencer than Windsor, so if he was ever going to change his name, it would be to Spencer.” However, she cautioned against the idea, saying, “This would be a final nail in the coffin of his relationship with his father and his brother. It would amount to a public declaration that he no longer saw himself as part of the royal family.” Sadly for Harry, his uncle, too, wasn't keen on letting his nephew take his family surname, fearing legal challenges. A friend of the Duke told the Daily Mail, “They had a very amicable conversation and Spencer advised him against taking such a step.”

As per the Royal Insider, Archie and Lilibet became Prince and Princess, respectively, in 2022 following King Charles's ascension to the throne. Their titles were publicly announced in March 2023 when Harry and Markle announced Lilibet’s christening. In light of the same, critics have argued as to why the couple continues to use their royal titles while chastising the very institution that bestowed them.