Life

This Is The One Royal Title Meghan Markle Will Probably Never Officially Use

by Brittany Bennett
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Guys, we are days away from the much anticipated royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. If you've been digesting the details and the news of the nuptials as if they were Markle's favorite açaì bowls, get ready for another helping. Markle will receive another royal title upon marrying Prince Harry on May 19 — aka, in addition to her expected title of Duchess — however, it's probably one that will never be officially used.

Of course, Markle has already received one new title in advance of her marriage into the royal family, and it's one that's arguably more important than any royal title she'll receive after the wedding. As she has long been a face for humanitarianism and feminism, she will be serving as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador alongside Prince Harry after their nuptials. It's a deeply fitting role, especially given her moving speech at the United Nations on gender equality in 2015 — at the time, Markle said, "The way we change that, in my opinion, is to mobilize girls and women to see their value as leaders, and to support them in these efforts." It'll be exciting to see how Markle continues to be a voice for change and activism in her new role.

In additon to Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, though, Markle will also receive a new ~royal~ title when she marries Prince Harry on May 19: Though it hasn't been officially revealed yet, it will surely be some sort of Duchess title, much like the Duchess of Cambridge title Kate Middleton received upon marrying Prince William in 2011. But, according to Business Insider, this isn't the only new royal title she'll take on.

Apparently, she'll also take on a Princess title, although it's doubtful that it'll ever be officially used. Why? According to tradition, when Markle marries Prince Harry, she will also take on the fairly archaic title "Princess Henry of Wales." Henry, of course, is Prince Harry's actual name, meaning that this Princess title is literally, Princess of Prince Harry. Hey, I said it was fairly archaic.

That said, it's extremely unlikely that this title will ever be used in any official capacity, and Markle can very well choose to ignore it if she likes. Officially, she will be known as a Duchess, much like Middleton.

So, why does this title even exist? According to Business Insider, "The clunky name emphasizes the fact that Markle won't be a princess in her own right, but through marriage. Women who are royal by blood, like Princess Charlotte or Princess Eugenie, get to use their own name." Basically, Kate Middleton can also be called Princess William of Wales, but she's never referred to as such.

It's more than likely that the title "Princess Henry of Wales" will never be used to address the soon-to-be royal — if Middleton's title is any indication, recent royal marriages reject the princess title altogether. In fact, the only royal who keeps the title is Princess Michael of Kent who married Prince Michael in 1978. Hey, at the end of the royal day, it's up to the Duchess/Princess herself what she wants people to call her.

Upon her and Prince Harry's "I do's" on May 19, Markle will officially join the royal family. And even though we probably won't know her from that point forward as Princess Henry of Wales, she'll most definitely be a role model queen to look up to. Really, when it comes down to it, it's about the person and not the title. And Markle seems to be an incredible person, which means she will be an exceptional addition to the royal family.