Royal aides were reported over the weekend as saying Harry and Meghan should stop calling themselves the duke and duchess
(Picture: PA Archive)Senior aides have played down claims that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should stop using their royal titles.
Royal aides were reported over the weekend as saying Harry and Meghan should stop calling themselves the duke and duchess after Harry’s latest criticism of the royal family.
But sources have said there is no desire, from the Queen or anyone else in any position of influence within the palace, to put any pressure on them to stop them using their titles.
One senior figure told the Standard on Monday: “There is no appetite to do this. The position on titles has been discussed by all parties months ago and remains the same.”
The subject was raised following an outcry when Harry appeared to criticise his upbringing during the latest episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast.
Critics said Harry’s remarks, in which he seemingly attributed the unhappiness of his upbringing to the way his father was raised, were a “betrayal” of the family. In the podcast, Harry said of his father: “He’s treated me the way that he was treated. There’s a lot of genetic pain and suffering that gets passed on anyway.
“There’s no blame. But certainly when it comes to parenting, if I have experienced some kind of pain or suffering because of the pain or suffering that, perhaps, my father or my parents had suffered, I’m going to make sure I break that cycle so I don’t pass it on.”
In public statements since the Sussexes expressed their desire to step down from royal duties, the Queen has emphasised that the couple remain much loved members of the family.
But Harry’s words risk tensions within the family when he returns to Britain for the unveiling of a statue of his mother, Princess Diana, on July 1.
