Harry's Relationship With the Royal Family Is Complicated to Say the Least

In early January 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked the world by announcing that they would be stepping down from their roles as senior members of the royal family of Britain. The largely unprecedented move brought up many questions over the logistics of the decision, how much of a departure their renouncement of the roles actually was, and if Harry would ever change his mind and return to the life of a monarch.

Now with a fair amount of time removed from the decision, details surrounding Harry and Meghan's lives post-royal family have remained somewhat vague as they attempt to establish a new life without much paparazzi intervention.

However, one detail remains fairly unclear in the entire situation. Is Harry still technically a prince? And if so, what role does he still occupy within the royal family, should the situation where he is needed arise? Here's a breakdown of what we know about the controversial move the couple made and its implications.

Technically, by way of birthright, Harry is still indeed a prince and no amount of renouncement of that identity can take away the fact that he is in line for the throne by blood, but it's much more complicated than just that. 

When they officially announced their departures from the royal family, Harry and Meghan renounced their HRH titles, meaning that their royal names are no longer applicable in most settings. Since then, Harry has made it clear that he isn't a fan of being referred to as a prince anymore.

While Harry renounced his royal title and position as a senior royal, one thing he was physically unable to renounce is his position in the line of succession to the throne of England. As of now, Harry is sixth in line for the crown, although his father and brother are the most likely ones to be vying for the position of successor once Queen Elizabeth's reign is over. 

Since Meghan married into the family and was only royal by affiliation, her official position remains a bit ambiguous. The only situations where the question of her title may come into play yet again are if the couple decides to walk back their renouncement, or if somehow Harry's position in line for the throne gets bumped up and he and Meghan become viable candidates to inherit the throne.

As of now, Harry and Meghan are enjoying a quiet life in a high-profile yet still highly-guarded neighborhood in California home to some of the world's biggest celebrities. With Netflix, Spotify, and various charitable ordeals all going on at once, it appears the former royal is just as busy in post-regal life as he was when he still officially held the title.