Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are once again under fire, this time for not giving up their royal titles following the bombshell announcement that Prince Andrew has surrendered his. On Friday, Prince Andrew confirmed in a formal statement that, after “discussion with The King,” he would no longer use his title, Duke of York, or any other honors bestowed upon him by the late Queen Elizabeth II. The decision, he said, was made to avoid distracting “from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family” amid ongoing accusations surrounding his ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein. “I vigorously deny the accusations against me,” Andrew’s statement read. “I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first.”
Prince Andrew’s decision means he will remain a prince by birth but will no longer be the Duke of York, a title he received from his mother upon marriage in 1986, nor a member of the Order of the Garter, the oldest and most prestigious chivalric order in Britain. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also no longer be known as the Duchess of York, though their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will retain their royal styles.
The move marks the latest royal shake-up under King Charles III, and one that instantly reignited debate over the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who famously stepped down from royal duties in 2020, but have continued using their titles while frequently criticizing the monarchy.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Slammed for Keeping Their Titles
It didn’t take long for social media to shift its focus to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. One viral post on X shared Andrew’s resignation letter, writing, “Do Harry and Meghan have the guts to ditch their titles like Andrew, or will they keep milking a monarchy they claim to loathe?” The comment section quickly exploded with heated takes. “H&M severed a lot of those ties. I don’t think they would voluntarily renounce the titles — basically, the titles are all they have,” one user wrote.
Another chimed in with, “The UK will have to pry those titles out of her old-age cold dead hands.” And one of the most biting reactions read, “Of course they wouldn’t. Can you imagine Meghan giving up her title even if it’s from a Royal Family that’s ‘racist’ and lies about her? The parasite still thinks it’s worth it!”
A Growing Royal Divide
Since stepping down as working royals in 2020, Harry and Meghan have maintained a complicated (and often contentious) relationship with the monarchy. Their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, followed by the explosive Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan and Prince Harry’s memoir Spare, left deep divisions within the family. The couple accused members of the royal institution of racism and emotional neglect, claiming they were left unprotected from relentless tabloid harassment.
Despite leaving the U.K. to start a new life in California, the couple retained their titles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and continue to use them in professional and charitable ventures. Critics, however, argue that their ongoing attacks on the monarchy make that position hypocritical.
