The pair married over summer but rules are rules for the royal baby
Although Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that their first baby is on the way this morning, it turns out that the child won’t actually be a prince or a princess.
This is due to rules imposed by the royal family back in 1917. Limitations on titles within the royal family mean that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby will have to wait before it becomes a prince or princess.
Back in the early 20th century, King George V declared: “The grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes of these Our Realms.”
As a great-grandchild of the Queen, when it is born next spring the royal baby will be too far down the line of succession to get a big dog title.
Their first son would likely instead become the Earl of Dumbarton. While a daughter would be Lady Mountbatten-Windsor and any subsequent sons Lord Mounbatten-Windsor.
However, it could become a prince or a princess if the Queen decided to step in and give it the title. So there’s hope little unborn royal baby, there’s hope.
