London, United Kingdom (TEH) – Three years after Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle made the momentous decision to step away from royal duties and relocate to the United States, a new controversy has emerged. The official website of the British Royal Family has been found to contain numerous inconsistencies and errors, including the removal of Prince Harry’s title “His Royal Highness.”
The issue came to light when media website Express pointed out on Friday that Harry was still referred to as “His Royal Highness” on the royal family’s website. Further investigation revealed more discrepancies related to the names and titles of other members of the royal family.
Since the Express article was published, changes have been made to the website. “His Royal Highness” has been removed from a page about Harry, and both Harry and Markle’s names have been repositioned on the main family page. They now appear under those with active royal duties but above Prince Andrew’s name.
The confusion extends beyond Harry’s title. Prior to the recent adjustments, Harry was referred to as “His Royal Highness” in at least two places, despite the fact that his father, Prince Charles, now holds the royal title. The title of Prince of Wales has since passed to his son William.
William and his wife Kate Middleton, known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have also experienced title changes. While they still hold the titles of Duke and Duchess, their main titles after Charles became King are now Prince and Princess of Wales. This too has been corrected on the website.
The inconsistencies did not end there. Queen Elizabeth was still referred to as Queen in at least 74 places on the website, despite the fact that Charles has ascended to the throne. The Express report criticized the website for containing at least 18 pages filled with false information, although it acknowledged that not all subpages were reviewed.
Royal commentator Afua Hagan expressed her disappointment with the website, calling it “hugely disappointing” and urging the palace to make appropriate changes. She emphasized that accuracy should be the primary concern before making the website appealing to readers.
The royal site’s webmaster appears to be working at a slow pace to correct these errors. In contrast, the curators of an exhibition at Kensington Palace acted quickly to correct a label next to Princess Diana’s wedding dress, which was on display until January 2, 2022.
The recent changes to the royal website highlight the complex and often confusing nature of royal titles and protocol. It also underscores the importance of accuracy and attention to detail in representing the Royal Family to the public.
