Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Son Archie Isn’t Technically a Prince Yet — Here’s When He’ll Become One

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be trying their best to give their son Archie a “normal” life, but that won’t stop him from becoming a prince one day if he wants to be.

According to a new report in The Express, baby Archie will move up the royal ranks when his grandfather, Prince Charles, ascends to the throne. That means he will automatically earn the title of “Prince.” But, just because he has the title doesn’t mean he has to use it. As the report noted, it will be up to Archie if he decides to take on the title or not and if he will go by His Royal Highness when he turns 18.

As you may recall, Archie’s parents decided to keep their titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex when they stepped down as senior members of the royal family in 2019. However, they decided to drop the HRH formalities when they split. Archie may choose to follow in his parents’ footsteps, or he could decide to re-enter the royal fold on his own.

However, there is one caveat if he does rejoin the royal family in a more meaningful way. Us Weekly explained, once Prince Charles ascends, Archie will become sixth in line for the throne after his uncle Prince William, William’s three children, and his own father, Harry. As sixth in line, Archie would then become subject to specific marriage rules in the royal family. The 2013 Succession of the Crown Act means Archie would be required to ask the reigning monarch for permission to marry, which would likely be either Charles or William.

However, this could change as Archie could be bumped out of his place for the crown. Should one of William’s children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, or Prince Louis — have their own child, then Archie would become seventh in line, thus outside the Succession Act’s parameters. Or, again, he could say “no thanks” to the title and be just another normal guy living his best life in Santa Barbara. Guess we’ll just have to wait until the year 2037 to find out.