Prince Harry reportedly had a very blunt response when asked why he and Meghan Markle continue to use their royal titles after having stepped down as senior working royals in 2020. Speaking in a previous interview with Anderson Cooper, the 40-year-old was asked why the couple still use their ‘Duke’ and ‘Duchess’ titles.
In the interview, which took place when he was promoting his bombshell memoir Spare in early 2023, Harry was asked why they continue to use their titles, to which he replied, “And what difference would that make?”
Mr Cooper added: “One of the criticisms that you’ve received is that okay, fine, you want to move to California, you want to step back from the institutional role. Why be so public? Why reveal conversations you’ve had with your father or with your brother? You say you tried to do this privately.”
Harry then responded firmly: “And every single time I’ve tried to do it privately there have been briefings and leakings and planting of stories against me and my wife.
“You know, the family motto is ‘never complain, never explain’. But it’s just a motto. And it doesn’t really hold.”
Although he stepped down from duties in 2020, Harry still remains fifth in line to the royal throne. His two children – Prince Archie, 6, and four-year-old Princess Lilibet – also remain as sixth and seventh in the line of succession.
Harry, who will celebrate his 41st birthday later this week, also gave up his military titles after stepping down as a senior working royal.
In an interview released last month, Meghan Markle revealed her “real name” whilst speaking about the Sussex title.
Meghan said: “When I got married, I changed my name. It’s a complicated one for people to understand because a last name is not typical in that construct.”
She then continued: “My legal name is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, but Sussex for us works as our family name. It’s the name that we share with our children, but yes since we’ve been married, that’s what I’ve been called.”
