So IS Lilibet a Princess? And does she need to be christened in a Church of England ceremony? Questions answered as Sussexes hold California ceremony without King Charles or Prince William
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have begun to use the titles prince and princess for their children Archie and Lilibet.
Harry and Meghan’s youngsters became a prince and princess when the King acceded to the throne, but have remained a plain ‘master’ and ‘miss’ on the Buckingham Palace website for the past six months.
The Palace confirmed the site’s line of succession list will now be updated to reflect the change after a spokesman for the Sussexes publicly referred to Lili as a princess for the first time today when announcing news of her christening.
Here, MailOnline looks at some of the key questions surrounding the news:
What is Lilibet’s full name?
Lilibet, known as ‘Lili’ for short, was listed as ‘Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor’ on her birth certificate in California.
Buckingham Palace currently refers to her on the royal website as ‘Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor’.
A photograph issued by Archewell of Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, after celebrating her first birthday in June last year
What do Harry and Meghan call Lilibet?
Lili was described as ‘Princess Lilibet Diana’ in a statement from a spokesman for the couple today, which confirmed her christening last Friday.
It marked the first time that Lili has been publicly referred to as princess.
While it is understood the title of Princess will be used in formal settings, it will not be in everyday conversational use by the couple.
So she will likely still be known as ‘Lilibet’ in most scenarios.
Can Lilibet choose her title when she is older?
Harry and Meghan are understood 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.
So it will be up to Lilibet whether she wants to describe herself as a princess.
So is Lilibet officially a princess?
Yes, Harry and Meghan’s children Archie and Lilibet became a Prince and Princess respectively when King Charles acceded to the throne last September.
However it is only now that the couple have chosen to use the title.
Why can she be a princess?
Rules set out by King George V in 1917 mean Archie and Lili, as the children of a son of a sovereign, are automatically a prince and a princess.
The first picture of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s daughter Lilibet was released in a Christmas card on December 23, 2021
What has Buckingham Palace said?
Buckingham Palace has said the royal website ‘will now be updated in due course’ to reflect the titles – making Lilibet a Princess .
Previously, at the time of the late Queen’s death and the King’s accession last year, a spokesman for the King pledged to update Archie and Lilibet’s names on the site ‘as and when we get information’.
What have the couple previously said on the issue?
Meghan said in the couple’s bombshell interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey in 2021 that Archie was not given the title of prince because of his race.
However, when Archie was born seventh in line to the throne in May 2019, he was too far down the line of succession.
Although he was a great-grandchild of the monarch, he was not a first-born son of a future king, so was not automatically a prince.
Does Lilibet have the HRH title?
Lilibet also now has an HRH – Her Royal Highness – style if she wishes to use it.
But it also understood that HRH will be ‘held in abeyance’, which describes a state of temporary disuse.
‘Lili’ was christened by the Bishop of Los Angeles, the Reverend John Taylor
Who christened Lilibet?
The couple’s statement said Lilibet was ‘christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor’.
But Reverend Taylor is actually the Bishop of Los Angeles in the Episcopal Church in the US, which is part of the global Anglican Communion.
The Archbishop of Los Angeles is the Most Reverend José H. Gomez, who leads the US’s largest Catholic community.
Does this mean Lilibet can never join the Church of England?
Conducting the ceremony in the US means that Lilibet will not be considered a ‘member’ of the Church of England automatically.
But she could later join a Church of England congregation if she came to Britain.
Does Lilibet need to be christened in a Church of England ceremony in future?
No. Because the Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the christening in the US is valid in the UK.
A royal baby does also not need to be christened in a Church of England church to go into the royal line of succession.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their son Archie after his christening in July 2019
Is Meghan part of the Church of England?
Meghan attended a Catholic high school in the US, but was baptised and confirmed into the Church of England in a private ceremony conducted by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby before her wedding in 2018.
The intimate 45-minute service was held at the Chapel Royal.
Where and when did Lilibet’s christening happen?
The christening took place privately at the Sussexes’ home in Montecito, California, last Friday, March 3.
Who attended the christening?
People magazine reported that there were between 20 and 30 guests at the event, including Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland and Lilibet’s godfather Tyler Perry.
Royal journalist Omid Scobie, who is close to the Sussexes, reported that ‘King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate were invited but didn’t attend’.
It is not known whether any other Royal Family members were present.
Where was Archie christened?
Lilibet’s brother, Archie, was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, in July 2019.
What is a christening?
A christening is defined by the Collins dictionary as a ‘Christian ceremony in which a baby is made a member of the Christian Church and is officially given his or her name’.
The Episcopal Church describes a christening as being, for parents, ‘a commitment to your faith on behalf of your child’.
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