Meghan Markle Omits a Key Detail in Prince Archie’s Birthday Post After Facing Backlash

Prince Archie celebrated his 6th birthday on Tuesday, 6 May. Meghan Markle marked the special occasion by posting an adorable photo of him on Instagram. The birthday post featured the young Prince taking in a glorious sunset, facing away from the camera. Markle penned, “Our son. Our sun. Happy 6th birthday to Archie! Thank you for all of the love, prayers, and warm wishes for our sweet boy. He’s six! Where did the time go?” Markle, however, referred to her son as simply ‘Archie’, omitting his title of a prince. This detail didn't go amiss amongst royal fans who argued that the move was a result of Markle having received backlash over her repeated use of the ‘HRH’ title.

As reported by the Daily Mail, Markle still uses the ‘Her Royal Highness’ title in private circles. The outlet argues that although no documents were signed to prevent the use, the Sussexes' agreement with the late Queen Elizabeth II was that they would stop using their HRH titles after their royal exit in 2020.

As per the BBC, a 2020 statement from Buckingham Palace read, “The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family.” In light of the same, when podcast host and entrepreneur Jamie Kern Lima shared a photo of a gift basket she received from Markle that was signed with her HRH title, royal fans unleashed a firestorm on the Duchess. The hamper note read, “With the compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussex.”

Following the backlash, royal expert Ingrid Seward also slammed Markle for using the banned title. She told The Sun, “I think if her late grandmother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, were still around, she would be highly offended, as she was very sensitive about that.” The expert opined, “'The Queen didn't remove HRH but told them not to use it. But she isn't here anymore, so maybe Harry and Meghan think they can get away with it.” Markle's spokespersons also addressed the controversy following the release of the episode. Sky News quoted a source who clarified that the Sussexes don't use HRH publicly or for commercial purposes but have retained the honor. They stressed that the basket sent to Lima was a 'personal gift'.

The gift basket incident isn't the only time the Duchess of Sussex was dragged through the mud for using the alleged ‘banned’ title. Last month, she reposted a letter from the Vice President of Ukraine addressed to her with the title. The Vice President's message read, “Your Royal Highness, I would like to express my sincere thanks for everything your family is doing for Ukraine.” As reported by GB News, Buckingham Palace had declined to comment on the matter.