The Queen grants a senior title to Prince Louis, while Archie remains without an HRH title. In a notable decision, Queen Elizabeth II changed Prince Louis’ official name to a higher title, but unfortunately the same treatment was not extended to Archie, Meghan and Harry’s son.
When the future King and Queen of England welcomed their child, they chose to name him Louis Arthur Charles. Louis, a popular name within the royal family, also honors his father and older brother, Prince George, as it is their middle name.
The name also pays homage to Lord Louis Mountbatten, Charles’s mentor, who tragically lost his life in an IRA bombing in 1979. Additionally, the name Charles is a nod to grandfather from the young royal and to the British monarch, King Charles III, who expressed delight at the arrival of another family member.
Prince Louis’ official title is now His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Cambridge, but he would not have received this title without the intervention of his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. The late monarch took steps to override a rule established by her father, King George V, in 1917.
This rule had specified which members of the royal family were eligible for titles, excluding great-grandchildren from the list. However, Queen Elizabeth II changed the policy to ensure that Prince George, Charlotte and Louis got the titles of prince and princess.
Interestingly, this change did not apply to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son, Prince Archie. During their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Meghan mentioned that the couple did not want their son to have an HRH title.
Instead, they wanted him to lead a more ordinary life, similar to Harry’s cousins Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall. However, Meghan also revealed concerns over Archie’s safety due to the lack of an HRH title, highlighting the implications of the Queen’s decision.
Had the former monarch not enforced the change, Prince Louis might have been known as Master Louis Cambridge or Master Louis Windsor. While Prince Louis enjoys the title of HRH thanks to the Queen’s intervention, Archie remains without it, leaving questions about his future within the royal family.
