Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have unilaterally declared their daughter Lilibet to be a princess, despite the fact that the palace has not publicly endorsed the title.
Their children are legally entitled to be known as princes and princesses based on a rule that the grandchildren of the monarch are thus titled.
However, the palace has notably declined to use such titles on its official channels, and the palace has long refused to be drawn out on how the Sussex children would be styled.
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There has been speculation that the unwillingness to acknowledge the children as prince and princess was linked to the collapse of the relationship between the couple and the royals.
The couple now appear to have run out of patience and have instead put it up to the royals to explicitly deny the children the titles if they so wish.
In an announcement Wednesday morning, the Sussexes said their daughter had been christened Princess Lilibet Diana.
However, Lilibet still appears as Miss Lilibet Mountbatten Windsor on the official royal website, and her older brother, Archie, appears as Master Archie.
Rumors are circulating that this may now be changed, indicating that the palace will accept the legitimacy of the titles, but the fact it is having to be done in response to the Sussex announcement will likely infuriate the palace's old guard.
The palace was contacted for comment Wednesday but has not responded.
A palace source, however, confirmed the use of the title was accurate and said the website would be updated in due course.
In a statement to People magazine, a spokesperson for the couple said, “I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor.”
People reported that the Sussexes invited King Charles, Camilla, Prince William, and Kate to the ceremony, but none of them showed up.
Prince William’s office said it could not comment on “private invites.”
People said there were “between 20-30 guests” at the gathering, including Meghan’s mother, Doria, and Lilibet’s godfather, Tyler Perry, who brought a 10-person gospel choir that sang “Oh Happy Day” at the ceremony.
Royal expert Duncan Larcombe, the former royal editor at The Sun, told The Daily Beast, “The Sussexes dared the palace to contradict them. It’s a very uncompromising move.”
A friend of King Charles told The Daily Beast, “The kids are entitled to the titles by convention. It’s just rather amazing that Harry and Meghan want to inflict them on their children, given the extent of their disappointment with the institution.”
