King Charles III delivers his first televised address to the Commonwealth as monarch by paying tribute to his "darling mama", Queen Elizabeth II. Video / AP
As discussion surrounding Meghan and Harry's kids' new titles continues, past comments made by the new King suggest they're likely to be stripped of them.
King Charles has always said he wanted to have a "slimmed down" monarchy when he ascended the throne, with it reported last May that he would move to change key legal documents to ensure Archie and Lilibet would not inherit their Prince and Princess titles.
It comes after reports the two children of Harry and Meghan would automatically be given titles as grandchildren of the monarch, but it's a change which was mysteriously absent from the official new order of succession, suggesting Charles is acting on his past promise.
Last May, reports emerged that then-Prince Charles planned to cut down the ranks of the royal family after the Queen's death, with a friend of the family revealing Prince Philip also supported the move.
Gyles Brandreth, a friend of the late Duke of Edinburgh, told UK newspaper The Express: "One of the interesting things that Prince Philip pointed out to me that in the past the royal family has always been quite small. And when he became Duke of Edinburgh in 1947 it was just the king and the queen and the two young princesses. And now of course it became this larger thing altogether. But I think that going forward we are going to go back to a much slimmed down [monarchy]."
At the time, the broadcaster didn't hold back his opinion on who he thought would be kept "in" and who would be pushed "out".
This new, streamlined version of the royal family would see disgraced Prince Andrew culled along with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have already made their intentions of pursuing careers independently of royal life crystal clear.
People watch the televised speech of the new King Charles III inside a pub in London. Photo / AP
A royal insider told US Weekly: "Charles is working towards a new slimmed-down monarchy and is freezing Harry out. He's actually already out. After the damage Harry has caused, he firmly believes that his son doesn't deserve the privilege of being a royal."
Another source told the Daily Mail that Charles was determined to limit the number of key royals to ensure the public wouldn't be paying for an ever-expanding monarchy.
As Meghan revealed in her Oprah interview, Charles told the Sussexes Archie would never be prince. This was later backed by the Daily Mail's royal source.
It is understood Meghan and Harry were expecting Archie and Lilibet to become prince and princess when Charles became King – their "birthright," as Meghan put to Oprah.
"You know, the other piece of that convention is, there's a convention – I forget if it was George V or George VI convention – that when you're the grandchild of the monarch, so when Harry's dad becomes King, automatically Archie and our next baby would become Prince or Princess, or whatever they were going to be … But also it's not their right to take it away," Meghan (who was then pregnant with Lilibet) said at the time, before dropping the "racist royal" bombshell that there had also been discussions about the colour of Archie's skin before he was born.
In the wake of the Queen's death, there have been signs of King Charles' "streamlining" the senior royal ranks already.
Archie and Lilibet's titles unchanged in line of succession
The new order of succession was updated on the royal family's website just hours after King Charles III delivered his first address as sovereign.
William was listed under his new title; and he and wife Kate, the Princess of Wales' three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis all had their entries tweaked to include "of Wales".
But down the list to the sixth and seventh spots, where three-year-old Archie and Lilibet, 1, sit, they have the same titles they did this time last week.
Technically, the very second that their grandfather assumed the top job, the children immediately became a prince and princess under the Letters Patent set down by King George V in 1917.
So far there has not been any public confirmation – apart from the website change – as to whether or not they will be known as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meet people after viewing the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle. Photo / AP
Charles ices Meghan out of Balmoral visit
King Charles reportedly had a phone conversation with Prince Harry advising him not to bring Meghan Markle to the Queen's deathbed at Balmoral Castle.
The 73-year-old was said to have discovered the Sussexes' initial plan to head to Scotland together via the media.
Prior to the Queen's death, Buckingham Palace issued a statement about the monarch's declining health. Shortly afterwards, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced the duo would both be "travelling to Scotland" together.
The Daily Mail reports this decision was "news to the palace and did not go down well".
"Many behind royal walls, frankly, were incredulous," royal writer Rebecca English claimed.
A few short hours later, Harry was photographed arriving at the Scottish estate alone, some 90 minutes after news of Her Majesty's passing, and now it's been revealed a phone call with Charles is seemingly what triggered the change of plans.
However, the Duchess of Sussex made a surprise show of unity alongside Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton to meet mourning fans outside Windsor Castle on Sunday after the Queen's death, marking their first public appearance together in over two years.
With Harry and Meghan expected to remain in Britain for at least two weeks, talk has turned to whether Archie and Lilibet will join them.
The children are being cared for by Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, at the family's California home in Montecito.
"The Sussexes are said to be trying to decide whether Meghan's mum Doria Ragland should fly out with the kids at some point next week," a royal source told London's Telegraph.
Harry, 37, and Meghan, 41, are now expected to remain in Britain for the entire mourning period, which extends beyond the Queen's funeral on September 19 for a further seven days.
