What Will Happen To Harry & Meghan's Kids When King Charles Dies?

Since King Charles III's cancer diagnosis was announced in February 2024, the news has been impacting the monarchy and will continue to do so no matter what transpires. Now, things may be taking a turn for the worse, as the king's funeral plans are reportedly being revisited, and a source claims that he "is really very unwell. More than they are letting on," per the Daily Beast. In moments like this, it's easy for the public to wonder about the line of succession and the domino effect that will begin when Charles dies. No matter when the king ultimately passes and his throne goes to the next in line, the entire royal family and their roles will be affected. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are, of course, on the outs with the palace and are no longer working royals. As for the pair's children, though, it's easy to wonder what exactly the death of their grandfather could mean for their roles and their future. 

Harry and Meghan's choice to leave their royal roles and move to the United States caused some bad blood between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the royal family. It also distanced their children from the royals. Even so, Prince Archie, who will turn 5 in May 2024, and Princess Lilibet, who turns 3 in June, are still the king's grandchildren, and that means that they are still firmly in the line of succession. 

When King Charles III dies, the entire line of succession will shift, and William, Prince of Wales will become king. After William, his children, in order of age, are next in line. Once William takes over as king, Prince George is next in line for the throne, followed by Princess Charlotte and then Prince Louis. Despite his distance from the world of the royals, Prince Harry is still next in line after Louis. He is followed by his kids, Archie and then Lilibet. 

Harry's role in the line of succession is his birthright, and as such, it must remain as it is unless drastic steps are taken to remove it. Even so, The throne would need to be abdicated by William and all of his children, or they would all need to die before Harry in order for him to become king, which is, of course, unlikely. Consequently, the likelihood that Archie and Lilibet will ever take over the crown is even lower. They did, however, gain prince and princess titles when Charles took over as king. In 2023, a statement from the Sussex's spokesperson said, "The children's titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch," adding, "This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace," per Newsweek.

Despite the family drama between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the rest of the royals, things seem to be less tense between Harry and King Charles than between Harry and Prince William. After all, Harry immediately visited Charles when he heard about his cancer diagnosis. Yet, a source told the Daily Beast that despite Harry's attempts, "Catherine and William have been very clear they want peace and quiet ... A visit from Harry, with all the drama that would bring, would be the opposite of that." 

This will likely make for plenty more awkward moments when William becomes king. Whether the Sussexes and their children will attend William's coronation or come back into the fold as the monarchy shifts remains to be seen. Even so, royal rules often seem to take precedence over the bad blood, which will likely affect Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. According to the Succession to the Crown Act, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Newsweek, "the first six in line to the throne [must] ask permission from the monarch before they marry." Archie and Lilibet will be fifth and sixth in line when William becomes king. If they are still estranged from William, it will surely be strange for them to ask his permission to marry. Unfortunately, that is just one of many awkward encounters the children may face if their parents can't reconcile with the future king.