Palace insiders have criticized Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for maintaining their children’s royal titles while having abandoned royal duties themselves, according to reports published June 12, 2025. The criticism centers on passport applications for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet that included HRH titles alongside the Sussex surname.
A royal insider told GB News that the couple’s position creates confusion within palace circles. The source indicated finding it very difficult to understand how Harry and Meghan apparently found official duties and life within the Royal Family unbearable, yet they want this for their children.
The Guardian revealed that Prince Harry wishes to maintain the HRH titles so his children can decide for themselves whether to undertake royal duties when they reach adulthood. However, palace insiders have expressed bewilderment at the couple’s apparent contradiction, given that they relinquished their own use of the HRH honorific as part of their agreement with Queen Elizabeth II when they ceased performing royal duties in 2020.
British officials took nearly six months to issue UK passports for the Sussex children, far exceeding the standard three-week processing time. Sources close to the couple indicated they believed UK officials were deliberately stalling because the passport applications included HRH titles for both children and used the Sussex surname.
The passports were finally granted days after solicitors sent a letter threatening to pursue a data subject access request, which could have exposed details of the delays and any behind-the-scenes discussions amongst British officials. A source close to the Sussexes confirmed there was clear reluctance to issue passports for the children.
Prince Harry met with his uncle Earl Spencer to discuss adopting the Spencer surname for his family after reaching a point of sheer exasperation with the passport delays, according to insiders. The Earl was reportedly enthusiastic and supportive of the proposal, which would have seen the family adopt Diana’s maiden name.
A source close to the Sussexes explained that Harry was at a point where British passports for his children with their updated Sussex surnames were being blocked with a string of excuses over the course of five months. The source revealed that Harry told his uncle his family are supposed to have the same name and they’re stopping that from happening because the kids are legally HRH.
Sources claimed King Charles had opposed his grandchildren carrying the HRH titles, particularly concerned about the honorific’s use. The source alleged that the king hadn’t wanted Archie and Lili to carry the titles, most of all the HRH, and the British passports, once created, would be the first and perhaps the only legal proof of their names.
Meanwhile, Princess Eugenie has reportedly formed an alliance with Prince William over their shared passion for environmental causes, distancing herself from her once-close relationship with Harry and Meghan. The New York Post reported June 12 that palace sources confirmed the sisters are well aware of the plans William has in store for them as he crafts his blueprint for the next generation of working royals.
A source previously told The Sun that Eugenie has been supportive of Harry and Meghan for years and was right there at the beginning of their relationship, but it has now soured. As a result of her friendship with the Waleses, Eugenie has grown more distant to the Duke of Sussex given his long-standing feud with the Windsor clan.
The controversy has been compounded by reports of a rumored $153 million Netflix deal that allegedly includes a divorce clause. According to sources, Netflix is reportedly pushing for a condition that would allow them to secure rights to conduct the first post-divorce interview should the couple ever decide to separate.
The streaming giant has also requested options to feature the Sussexes’ children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, conflicting with Harry’s privacy concerns. A source told Radar Online that Netflix isn’t mucking around this time, knowing that “Harry and Meghan need them more than the other way around.”
Recent developments have also seen Meghan defending against criticism over a pregnancy dance video she posted for Princess Lilibet’s fourth birthday on June 4. Christopher Bouzy, who appeared in the couple’s 2022 Netflix documentary, defended Meghan against what he called cruel and sickening comments about the delivery room footage.
Until 2023, Archie had held both US and British passports under the name Mountbatten-Windsor, before the family began using Sussex publicly. The passport controversy highlights the ongoing tensions between the Sussexes and the British establishment over their children’s royal status and naming rights.