MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry must be worried they’re being edged out of the Royal Family, an expert has claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were demoted to the bottom of the official royal website this week – plunging them only above Prince Andrew.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s profiles have been demoted on the royal website
They now sit at the bottom of the Royal Family page – alongside Prince Andrew
The pair had previously sat about halfway down the page of royal profiles, below senior royals and above minor members of the family.
But the page was updated following the Queen’s death – and Meghan and Harry were dropped to the bottom of the ranks.
Royal biographer Phil Dampier told HOAR Online: “Harry and Meghan must be worried that they are slowly being eased out of the royal picture.
“King Charles seems to be hesitating on whether to grant Prince and Princess titles to Archie and Lilibet.
“And the fact that they have been ‘demoted’ on the Palace website is another indicator that they are not seen as working royals.”
Harry and Meghan, whose children Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, could be given Prince and Princess titles under Charles, quit royal duties back in 2020.
But the Queen made it clear at the time they must either be in or out, insisting that in “stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service”.
Mr Dampier believes King Charles and Prince William are likely to “feel the same way”.
He said: “The King will want to make it clear that they are not working royals and can’t pose as semi-official royals.
“They are relegated to the bottom of the league table with disgraced Prince Andrew and at the moment there is no way of them climbing up it.”
It’s understood the recent changes to the royal website were made to reflect the role played by working members of the Royal Family – rather than the order of succession.
And royal biographer Angela Levin believes the page is an accurate reflection of that.
“I thought it was a very careful statement,” she said.
“The fact that what they are doing is zero.
“It’s just showing people what they’re not doing and how valuable they are in the Royal Family.
“I think putting Harry down there at the bottom is a sort of safety valve – you don’t expect anything from them.”
The King is still said to be deciding whether the Sussex children Archie and Lilibet are granted Prince and Princess titles.
Under protocols established by King George V in 1917, the children and grandchildren of a sovereign have the automatic right to the title HRH and prince or princess.
But while the Palace has updated its website to move Archie and Lilibet to sixth and seventh in line respectively, their titles remain Master and Miss.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “Updating love on a website doesn’t quite work.
“We will be working through updating the website as and when we get information.”
It’s understood Meghan and Harry returned to California the day after the Queen’s funeral.
The brothers stood side-by-side in support of their father as he mourned his mother, and there was also a joint engagement with Meghan and Kate visiting Windsor.
But, the future of the family’s relationship remains unknown at this stage – especially with talks of Harry’s memoir being released next year.
