Let’s be clear: just because Prince Harry’s new fiancée Meghan Markle isn’t a princess doesn’t mean Americans won’t call her “Princess Meghan” until the end of time.
Still, even though the American actress is now going to be part of the British royal family, she still can’t actually technically officially become a proper princess, now or ever. Most likely, she’ll be a duchess, which is frankly just as cool.
According to CNN’s Max Foster, once Markle is married, she takes Harry’s title and name — as in, his literal name. Her title will be Princess Henry of Wales, plus any other title the Queen might choose to bestow (Henry is Harry’s real name).
Luckily, in all likelihood Markle won’t have to spend the rest of her life as “Princess Henry.” Royal historian Marlene Koenig told Royal Central the prince is probably in line for a dukedom, and if Harry is named a duke once he’s married, like his brother William was, Markle would be a duchess like her sister-in-law Catherine.
“Most likely, he will be created a Duke. Sussex is available so [Meghan] would be HRH the Duchess of Sussex. Her rank would be a princess by marriage of the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and Northern Ireland,” Koenig said.
According to CTV’s royal commentator Richard Berthelson, the whole “official princess or unofficial princess” thing is about lineage. He told
CTV that Markle will be an unofficial princess because her husband is a prince, but because she wasn’t born into a royal family, she won’t be a capital-P “Princess” and won’t have her name stylized as such.
See, the British think they are somehow setting their American neighbors straight, when honestly, “unofficial princess” is more than satisfactory for us.