The British Monarchy somewhat changes when a new King or Queen takes the throne. Indeed, when King Charles became the monarch after his mother's death in September 2022, he opted for a more slimmed-down monarchy, with fewer working royals.
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Recently, there has been a lot of debate on what the future of the British Monarchy will look like. Even though it will be years before Prince George will be King, experts have already discussed what his reign may look like.
Moreover, royal experts have been discussing the future of Prince Harry and Meghan’s children, Archie, 5 and Lilibet, 2, and whether or not they will become working royals when they are older.
Could Archie and Lilibet become working royals?
Royal expert, Jack Royston spoke with Express to discuss the possibility of Prince Harry and Meghan’s children, Archie and Lilibet - who Meghan is concerned she will be blamed for their isolation from their family - becoming working royals when they are older. According to Royston, the Sussex children would have to wait until Prince George is King before they could try to enter The Firm.
Royston told Express that they will have the 10-year-old is ‘calling the shots’:
George will not have any right to actually call the shots until he is king, which will likely be many years from now, potentially as many as 50 to 60 years if William's reign continues into his 90s, as Queen Elizabeth II's did.
Royston added that Prince George may want his cousins to join The Firm if he accepts to become King. Moreover, Archie and Lilibet remain in the line of succession, they are currently 6th and 7th respectively.
However, their place in line will likely change the day Prince William and Princess Kate’s children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, have kids of their own.
What could also help the Sussex children become working royals in the future is that fact that Prince Harry and Meghan fought for them to retain their royal titles. Indeed, Archie and Lilibet hold the titles of Prince and Princess since King Charles ascended the throne.
Royston also adds that if Prince George were to ask his cousins to join The Firm once he is King, it won’t be for many years and they would all likely be in their 50s by the time it is possible.
Royston also argues that perhaps the Sussex children will follow in their mother’s footsteps and join the entertainment industry, as they live in Montecito, which isn’t far from Hollywood:
Archie and Lilibet may decide to pursue careers and could go on to become film stars, leading into Prince Harry and Meghan’s pursuing entertainment careers.
Prince Harry and Meghan may have ‘tarnished’ their children
On the other side of the debate on Archie and Lilibet’s futures in the Royal Family, royal expert Kara Kennedy told Express that the Sussex children would likely be lost if they tried to join The Firm later in life.
Kennedy argues that Archie and Lilibet ‘wouldn’t know where to start’ as they grew up in California, away from all the traditions and protocols of The Firm. She told Express:
They will be brought up in California far away from the tradition and institution of the Royal Family - if they ever wanted to be involved on a day-to-day basis, they wouldn’t know where to start.
She also added that despite Prince Harry and Meghan fighting to keep their children’s titles - a move deemed to go against the couple’s initial arguments - won’t change the fact that their leaving the Royal Family has ‘tarnished them forever’.
I think the truth is that regardless of Lilibet and Archie’s title and actions when they get older, their parents' decision has tarnished them forever.
However, despite them not knowing the royal traditions, Kara Kennedy explains that perhaps the Sussex children will want to rejoin their extended family as they are similar in age to their cousins. Respectively, the Wales children are 10, 7 and 5. Moreover, the Tindalls as well as Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice have young children.
Kennedy also argues that Archie and Lilibet may want to turn to royal duties as they may feel ‘left out’ in the future:
It’s only natural for Archie and Lilibet to want to be in on the action and not feel left out, regardless of their parents' wishes.
Archie and Lilibet have only been in the UK a handful of times
As many royal fans know, Archie and Lilibet have spent very little time in the UK since Prince Harry and Meghan left the UK in 2020. Indeed, Archie, who was born on May 6, 2019, in London, only spent a few months of his early life in his father’s home country before moving to California in 2020.
When it comes to Lilibet, she has only been in the UK once, for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebration in 2022, where she also celebrated her first birthday. Lilibet was born on June 4, 2021, in California.
Even though Prince Harry occasionally visits his home country for public engagements, he doesn’t bring his two children, who stay at home in the care of Meghan, who also very rarely visits the UK. Her last visit was also for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.
When Prince Harry briefly visited the UK after an important update had been made on King Charles’ health in 2024, Prince Harry still didn’t bring his children to see their grandfather even though rumour had it that it was a possibility.
Despite mainly living in the US, both Sussex children have dual citizenship of the US and the UK. So far, Prince Harry and Meghan have decided to keep their children out of the limelight. Indeed, there have been very few photos of either child being published.
The first photo of Lilibet was for the family Christmas card in December 2021, which also featured Archie. Then, for Lilibet’s first birthday in June 2022, the couple released their daughter’s first official portrait.
Read more:
⋙ Meghan Markle opens up about her children Archie and Lilibet while on Nigeria trip
Sources used:
Express: ‘Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet could still become working royals despite Megxit’
Express: ‘Prince Harry and Meghan 'tarnished' Archie and Lilibet returning as working royals’
