Royal Fans Urge Charles to Strip Harry and Meghan Titles After Brunei Sultan Revokes 1 Royal Honor

Q: Could King Charles legally strip the Sussex titles without an act of Parliament?

No. King Charles could not simply strip Prince Harry of the peerage title Duke of Sussex on his own under current UK constitutional practice. The key distinction is between styles and peerages. The HRH style is generally treated as a royal style regulated by letters patent and royal prerogative. That means the King could, in principle, alter or formally remove the right to use HRH, though Harry and Meghan have already agreed not to use it publicly since stepping back from royal duties in 2020. The dukedom is harder. The title Duke of Sussex is a hereditary peerage created by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018. In modern constitutional understanding, removing a peerage would normally require legislation by Parliament, not a unilateral act by the monarch. That is why past removals of peerage dignities have been handled through statute, not personal decree. The same is broadly true of Meghan’s title as Duchess of Sussex, which derives from Harry’s peerage. If Harry kept the dukedom, she would ordinarily remain Duchess of Sussex unless there were a divorce or another formal legal change affecting style. So comparisons with Brunei are misleading. Brunei’s Sultan exercises powers in a very different constitutional system. In Britain, the monarch’s powers are constrained by law, convention and ministerial advice. In short, Charles may have room over HRH usage, but removing the Sussex peerage titles would almost certainly need Parliament.

3 articles · Updated · The News International · Aug 13

Royal fans pressed King Charles to remove Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s titles after reports that Brunei’s sultan stripped his daughter-in-law of her royal honors.
Pengiran Raabi’atul Adawiyyah lost all titles last week under a decree saying her conduct was “unbecoming,” had tarnished the monarchy’s name and showed disrespect to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Instagram reactions to the report turned the Brunei case into a comparison with Harry and Meghan, with commenters directly urging Charles to “pay attention” and follow suit.
The pressure remains public rather than official: the latest report cites fan commentary, not any move by Buckingham Palace, even as Harry and Meghan recently reunited with Charles in Britain.