Brutal Blow for Meghan Markle as 97% of Britons Reject Calls to Style Her as ‘Princess’

Meghan Markle has suffered a fresh setback in the battle over her royal status, with a Daily Express poll revealing overwhelming opposition to the idea of calling her Princess Meghan. Despite marrying Prince Harry in 2018 and becoming the Duchess of Sussex, the former actress has never officially held that title — and the latest results suggest there is little public appetite for changing that.

The figures leave little room for doubt. But the debate over Meghan’s royal identity goes beyond what the public wants to call her.

97% Say Meghan Markle Should Not Be Called a Princess

The Daily Express launched its poll at 7am on October 27, asking readers a direct question: Should Meghan Markle be styled as a Princess?

Voting closed at 10am on October 28, with the results delivering a decisive verdict.

• 97% voted no, rejecting the idea of styling Meghan as a princess.
• 2% voted yes, supporting the proposed title.
• 1% remained undecided.

The result represents a striking rejection among those who participated in the poll, leaving just a tiny minority in favour of the change.

Readers also made their feelings clear in the comments. One wrote: “NO, she shouldn’t be called Princess! Princess of what? Mayhem????”

Another was equally blunt: “No to Meghan being called a princess.”

The poll does not represent the views of every Briton, but the strength of the response highlights how contentious Meghan’s royal standing remains among some members of the public.

Why Meghan Cannot Simply Become ‘Princess Meghan’

Despite her marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan has never been formally known as Princess Meghan. Her established royal title is the Duchess of Sussex.

Royal naming conventions also complicate the issue. Under traditional rules, the title of Prince or Princess followed directly by a first name is generally associated with royal birth. Meghan married into the Royal Family rather than being born into it.

If her existing ducal title were removed, she could, in practice, be styled as Princess Harry of Wales — a different designation from Princess Meghan.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, is another example of how royal titles can be misunderstood. Although she is sometimes popularly referred to as Princess Catherine, that is not her formal title.

The distinction matters because royal titles are governed by established conventions, not simply by personal preference or public opinion.

Dickie Arbiter Explains Why Harry’s Prince Title Is Different

The debate over Meghan’s title comes amid wider questions about the royal status of both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Speaking to royal editor Emily Ferguson on the latest episode of Royals Unscripted, former Buckingham Palace press secretary Dickie Arbiter discussed whether Harry and Meghan could lose their royal titles.

Arbiter argued that removing Harry’s birth title would be difficult to justify.

“As far as taking titles away from Harry and Meghan, well, you can’t really take the title prince away because he hasn’t done anything wrong,” he told Ferguson.

“He’s just rubbished the family, and that’s a private matter. He was born a prince, and he’ll die a prince.”

Arbiter then addressed the potential consequences of removing Harry’s dukedom, explaining how such a move could affect Meghan’s title.

“If you take the dukedom away, then where does that leave Meghan? That makes Meghan in practice Princess Harry of Wales.”

His comments underline the distinction between Harry’s status as a prince by birth and the titles associated with his marriage and position within the Royal Family.

Harry and Meghan’s Children Still Hold Royal Titles

While Meghan’s own title remains a subject of debate, her children occupy a different position under royal convention.

Prince Harry and Meghan’s children hold the titles of prince and princess because they are royal by blood and their grandfather is the monarch. They retained those titles while living in the United States.

Whether they will use them in a professional capacity when they are older remains unknown.

That possibility may be limited by their parents’ decision to step back from royal duties in 2020. Neither Harry nor Meghan is a working royal, despite retaining their existing royal status.

Their position has not changed, and they remain non-working members of the Royal Family.

For Meghan, however, the latest poll has delivered a clear message from participating readers: the idea of calling her Princess Meghan has found little support. Whether the debate over her title will go any further remains to be seen.