Prince William is reportedly planning significant changes to the British royal family structure upon his eventual succession to the throne. His brother, Prince Harry, and sister-in-law, Meghan Markle, may lose their royal titles as part of these reforms.
Recent reports from November 2025 suggest that William intends to remove the Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles from Harry and Meghan. This action is seen as part of his vision for a streamlined monarchy, following a precedent set by King Charles III.
On December 1, 2025, King Charles III removed his brother Andrew’s remaining titles and evicted him from his Royal Lodge residence. This action came after pressure regarding Andrew’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. The official document for this title removal was dated November 3, 2025. Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor without the title of prince.
Royal biographer Andrew Lownie described the removal of Andrew’s titles by King Charles as an example of what could be done with titles and a possible indication for Harry.
Sources close to Prince William have told outlets like The Daily Beast that he plans to take away Harry and Meghan’s His/Her Royal Highness (HRH) titles when he becomes king. A friend of William’s cited Harry and Meghan’s actions as “absolutely vile” and stated, “The HRHs will go.”
The relationship between the brothers is very strained. Royal expert Andrew Lownie commented that William may avoid being in the same room as Harry, except possibly at their father’s deathbed or funeral, and may even exclude Harry from the funeral.
The situation escalated in April 2025 when Meghan used her HRH title in published materials, despite an agreement with Queen Elizabeth II in 2020 to stop using it after stepping down as a senior royal.
A friend of William highlighted concerns about King Charles’s ability to manage the situation, stating, “Charles has completely lost control. Meghan using her HRH exposes how weak and enfeebled he is. She knows he won’t do anything. There is no way King William will stand for this. The titles will simply be removed when he is king.”
While removing the HRH style is possible through Letters Patent, similar to a royal executive order, revoking the Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles would require an Act of Parliament, making it a more complex process.
According to constitutional expert Norman Baker, “The monarch could remove the HRH title. It would basically be the equivalent to an executive order in the U.S.”
Reports also indicate that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet may lose their royal titles through formal letters patent when William becomes king. The titles of prince and princess were granted to them in 2023 after King Charles’s accession.
Additionally, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice might see changes to their titles, as William reportedly plans to reserve titles for working royals only.
Interestingly, reports suggest that William may delay the granting of titles to his own children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—until they decide if they want to be working royals.
TalkTV host Mark Dolan stated that William’s patience is limited, especially after Harry’s surprise visit to Canada in November 2025, which coincided with William’s Earthshot activities in Brazil. Dolan claimed William’s team was upset by what they saw as Harry’s attempt to conduct a parallel royal tour.
Royal expert Hilary Fordwich noted that while King Charles “is tolerant and lenient” and has “always hoped for some sort of reconciliation,” Prince William “has felt personally betrayed by the one person who shared his childhood experiences”.
With King Charles battling cancer at age 77, the timeline for William’s ascension and the potential implementation of these changes remains uncertain. However, observers believe William is committed to reshaping the monarchy, making title removal a key area of interest for the royal family’s future.
