When it comes to her royal title, the Duchess of Sussex isn’t planning to go down without a fight! According to well-placed insiders, Meghan, 44, is preparing to sue her estranged brother-in-law, the Prince of Wales. She is taking action over fears he could move to strip her of her title when he becomes king.
The claims come hot on the heels of the King taking away the status of his brother Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, 65, as prince. William and his wife, the Princess of Wales, both 43, reportedly urged Charles, 76, to slim down the royal family even more.
Meghan gears up for a title battle
“Meghan’s not taking any chances and she’s willing to fight to keep her title,” a close source tells Woman’s Day.
“She’s consulting with various legal experts on what strategies she can use to keep her duchess name – and she may actually have a case. “There’s no doubt that, on several occasions, the King has conveniently turned a blind eye to her capitalising on her title – she even sends gift cards with HRH on them. But William isn’t so forgiving.”
“If William even tries to remove her title, she thinks it proves that it’s personal. She’s building up what she considers to be an empire and she plans on using the California courts to defend a California business.”
Protecting the Sussex legacy
And her husband Prince Harry, 41, is on board for a court battle too. He argues that their status is important to their kids, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four.
“The Sussex title is part of their legacy,” explains another insider.
“Harry sees it as something that connects his children to their heritage and Meghan knows how vital it is to everything they’ve built. Losing it would be devastating. “If the Sussex title ever went, the symbolism would be huge. It would also change the way the couple is presented publicly. Meghan would feel lost without it. She’s worked so hard to redefine what being a duchess means. She’d be devastated to become plain old Meghan again.”
Inside Williams’ vision for the Monarchy
However, a palace source insists William’s vision for a “slimmed-down monarchy” is simply “practical” and not personal.
We’re told, “He’s watched his father navigate public scepticism and knows the institution must modernise. That may mean revisiting the way royal titles are used outside of official duties. It’s no secret Kate’s had her issues with Meghan, so she’ll support her husband as he creates this vision.”
Meghans and Harry at Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday
Reports of a court battle come just after Harry and Meghan’s surprise appearance at Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday party, hosted at Amazon boss Jeff Bezos’ $290 million Beverly Hills mansion. Mingling with A-list guests, including Oprah Winfrey, Paris Hilton and Justin Bieber, the flashy event was said to have been “another step in Meghan’s Hollywood comeback plan”, amid reports the duchess will have a cameo role alongside Lily Collins and Brie Larson in the film Close Personal Friends – her first acting gig in eight years.
However, not everything went smoothly, with Kardashian “momager” Kris later deleting a photo she posted of Harry and Meghan at the party, which she called “one of the very best nights of my entire life”.
Rumour has it the birthday girl got annoyed when she learnt the royals hadn’t RSVP’d to the bash and were essentially “gatecrashing.” It’s also been claimed that Meghan’s team infuriated Kris by requesting she retouch their picture. Meanwhile, royal biographer Tom Bower believes Harry is “fed up with being paraded” around Hollywood by his wife. He says it’s causing friction at home.
“There was tension between Meghan and Harry over his refusal to appear alongside her in her new movie, and her attempts to cosy up to the likes of Kris and the Kardashians,” adds a source.
“Now Harry’s worried she has plans for more reality shows. They might still be presenting a unified front for now, but how long can it last?”
