Archie and Lilibet’s Royal Protocol Matches Wales Cousins

School Routine and Surnames for the Sussex Children

While King Charles has stressed that Harry and Meghan would be “private citizens”, the royal titles for Archie and Lilibet remain intact. “Harry and Meghan are absolutely not giving up their children’s titles,” a royal source told Rob Shuter, adding that they are Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet and that is not changing. Even so, school is treated differently to protect the children’s daily environment. The source noted that teachers are not calling out “Prince Archie” across the playground, and classmates are not treating them differently because they are enrolled simply as Archie Sussex and Lilibet Sussex. This mirrors William and Kate’s children, who use “Wales” as their surname in academic settings.

A Tradition of Normalcy Carried Down Through Generations

By adopting the surname Sussex in the classroom, the children are following a key royal tradition that Prince William and Prince Harry carried out during their own schooling. According to the royal source, Prince Harry remembers how important that bit of normality was during his youth. “You know who you are and everyone knows who your family is, but you can still walk into a classroom without your title entering first,” the source said, explaining that Harry wants that same experience for his children.

Contrasting Upbringings: California Privacy Versus Royal Life

While Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis attend schools like Lambrook and Eton while growing up near the palace, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are being raised far from the royal court in Montecito, California, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle relocated in 2020. The Sussex children have had a vastly different childhood compared to their UK-based cousins. They missed Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, were abroad for King Charles III’s coronation, and were not invited to the 2026 wedding of Princess Anne’s son, Peter Philips, to Harriet Sperling, keeping them largely out of the loop regarding formal royal events. Unlike most royal babies who are presented on hospital steps shortly after birth, Archie and Lilibet experienced ultra-private arrivals, with Archie born in 2019 after a private announcement by Buckingham Palace and Lilibet born in an American hospital in 2021.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are Archie and Lilibet’s surnames at school?

  According to a royal source speaking to Rob Shuter, they are enrolled as Archie Sussex and Lilibet Sussex to blend in with peers.

  

• Did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle give up their children’s royal titles?

  No. A royal source told Rob Shuter that the children remain Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet and that is not changing.

• How does this compare to the Wales cousins?

  Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis use Wales as their surname, with Charlotte and Louis continuing in Lambrook and George enrolled at Eton.