Why Harry and Meghan's children can now be called now Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet

The children of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will now be entitled to be a prince and princess respectively in the wake of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, aged 96.

Now that Harry's father is officially King Charles III, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet ‘Lili’ Mountbatten-Windsor will have an HRH title.

The new titles for Prince Harry's children are thanks to rules set out by King George V in 1917.

Technically, as Archie and Lili are now the children of a son of a sovereign, the two little ones can now use the titles of prince and princess.

Of course, that's if their parents choose.

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More than 100 years ago King George V said: "The grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes of these Our Realms."

After the Queen's passing, the royal line of succession now is as follows: King Charles III, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince Harry, and then Master Archie. 

After that comes Prince Andrew the Duke of York, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie.

The Royal Family and Buckingham Palace announced Queen Elizabeth II’s death aged 96 on Thursday (8 September) in a series of statements after more than 70 years on the throne.  

The news comes shortly after her milestone celebration of her Platinum Jubilee in February 2022.  

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The Royal Family wrote on Twitter: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."

Buckingham Palace released a statement soon after that read: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and Queen consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and return to London tomorrow."

The new monarch, King Charles III said: "The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all my family members."

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"We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world."

He added: "During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held."

The death of the Queen marks the end of an era in history: the end of the second Elizabethan age.

Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne in 1952 aged just 27.

She was the longest reigning British monarch ever and the longest-serving female head of state ever.