Ah, the aristocracy. As much as we love a royal wedding, it has to be said: some of their traditions just don’t sit so well in 2018. Take this one: if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have daughters one day, they won’t inherit their royal titles – simply because, well, they’re girls.
If they have sons? No such problem. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal titles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, bequeathed unto them by the Queen on the day of their wedding, can be passed down to male heirs only, according to the ancient peerage rules of the United Kingdom.
As InStyle reports, Prince Harry and Meghan’s children, regardless of their gender, could also miss out on becoming little princes or princesses. Technically, only royal children and grandchildren are given such titles, not great-grandchildren. Queen Elizabeth II made an exception for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children, but there’s no guarantee she’ll do the same again.
That said, British royal traditions have been known to change: the Succession of the Crown Act, passed in 2013, has enabled Princess Charlotte to retain her position in line to the throne, even in the wake of Prince Louis’ arrival. Prior to the act’s passing, the royal family stuck by the 1701 ruling that men always had first right to the throne, ahead of any older sisters.
