Prince Harry, Meghan Markle 'no way of climbing up' following royal demotion: expert

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are believed to be worried that the royal family is easing them out of the picture after they were demoted from their ranks on the official website.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now listed at the bottom of the page, just ahead of Prince Andrew. They were initially in the middle, under Prince William and Kate Middleton. It is understood that the changes were made to reflect the roles of each member of the royal family.

The demotion is said to be understandable given that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are no longer working royals. They quit their duties in 2020 and now live in California with their two children.

However, they have been carrying out public engagements and visiting charity organisations using their royal titles. The Duke of York, on the other hand, quit public life since 2019 and Queen Elizabeth II stripped him of his royal titles and patronages in January 2022.

But according to royal biographer Phil Dampier, the demotion gave Prince Harry and Meghan Markle a clear message that they cannot have a "semi-official role" in The Firm. It is said that prior to leaving the U.K., they had asked permission from Queen Elizabeth II to work part-time, which she did not grant.

There have also been speculations that they might ask for part-time roles again with their father now the monarch. But demoting their ranks in the royal family's official website may have put those claims to bed.

Dampier told The Sun, "Harry and Meghan must be worried that they are slowly being eased out of the royal picture. King Charles seems to be hesitating on whether to grant Prince and Princess titles to Archie and Lilibet. And the fact that they have been 'demoted' on the Palace website is another indicator that they are not seen as working royals."

He added, "The King will want to make it clear that they are not working royals and can't pose as semi-official royals. They are relegated to the bottom of the league table with disgraced Prince Andrew and at the moment there is no way of them climbing up it."

The demotion came following reports that King Charles III plans to have a "slimmed-down" monarchy. Aside from putting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on the bottom ranks, non-working royals including Prince Michael of Kent and his wife Marie-Christine have reportedly also been removed from the website entirely.