Prince Harry and Meghan name daughter Princess Lilibet Diana for first time

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have called their daughter Princess Lilibet, as they revealed she was christened last week in Los Angeles.

The couple’s spokesperson issued a statement saying: “I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor.”

Until now, the King had not formally confirmed that the Sussexes’ children, Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, would use the titles of Prince and Princess. 

The Royal family’s website, which lists them as sixth and seventh in the line of succession, still refers to them as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor. 

However, as children of His Majesty’s son, they are automatically Prince and Princess and would otherwise be entitled to be styled His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness. 

Archie and Lilibet cannot use their HRH titles as they would take them from their father, whose own HRH title is in abeyance. 

It is understood that the Sussexes have decided that their children’s Prince and Princess titles will be used in formal settings, but not in everyday conversational use.

The couple are said to be keen to not deny their children their birthright, but to allow them the chance to decide for themselves when older whether to drop or keep using the titles.

The Buckingham Palace website is expected to be updated accordingly in due course. 

Sources suggested that the delay was simply down to the fact that they had been waiting to hear what the Sussexes had opted to do regarding titles.

Yet the issue had proved a sticking point since the death of Queen Elizabeth last September, amid claims that the King had not decided whether they should be allowed to keep the titles after the family relocated to California.

Sources close to the Sussexes had suggested they were frustrated that Buckingham Palace had failed to immediately recognise Archie and Lilibet’s elevated status on its website, not least as the Prince and Princess of Wales’s titles, and those of their children, were swiftly changed.

The King would need to issue Letters Patent to remove Archie and Lilibet’s titles.

Their use is in line with letters patent issued by George V in 1917, which conferred the title of Prince or Princess on male line grandchildren of the sovereign. 

Meanwhile, People magazine claimed that the Sussexes had extended an invitation to the christening to the King, the Queen Consort and the Prince and Princess of Wales but that they did not attend.