Is Meghan Markle a Princess? Here’s Your Definitive Answer

• There is a lot of confusion about whether or not Meghan Markle became a princess when she married Prince Harry.
• Believe it or not, this isn’t as cut and dried as some people think.
• Meghan Markle always wanted to be a Disney princess. Has she finally succeeded?

So, I’ve noticed a bit of a trend in the Meghan Markle hate mail that I’ve been getting of late. No, it’s not me being accused of racism or favoring Kate Middleton. That’s par for the course when it comes to the Sussex Squad.

What has grabbed my attention is the amount of Meghan fans who refer to their idol as Princess Meghan.

This is entirely different from those absolutely beyond-help types who call Meghan Markle a “real-life Disney princess.” Those unfortunate souls went off the deep end a long time ago.

I imagine them dancing around their sitting room with their life-sized cut-outs of Malibu Meg while singing along to “A Whole New World” on repeat.

No, I’m talking about people who legitimately believe that Meghan Markle is a princess – official royal title and all.

So, Is Meghan Markle a Princess?

It’s actually more complicated than you’d think.

Anyone who follows the royal family will know how confusing things can get when it comes to titles and lineage.

So while it would be easy (and fun) to mock Meghan Markle fangirls for erroneously claiming their idol is a princess, it’s easy to see why they’re confused.

Most Meghan fans immediately point towards the birth certificate for Archie, the son of both Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.

On this document, Meghan names herself, in full, as:

Rachel Meghan Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex.

And under occupation, rather than “Z-List Hollywood hack,” she’s entered:

Princess of the United Kingdom.

So, that clarifies it. The Sussex Squad can sit back with smug grins on their faces and claim the victory here, right?

Not quite.

Meghan’s princess title has been acquired via marriage

Before Meghan’s fans rejoice, there are a few small details to cover.

First of all, Meghan Markle isn’t a royal by blood, so certain rules apply. Basically, she’s not officially called Princess Meghan. Her title is “Princess Henry of Wales.”

In a weird and wacky way, those Sussex fans who believe that Meghan Markle is a figurehead for feminism and a role model for women are actually championing someone who is only a princess due to an archaic law that sees a woman assume the title of her husband.

Essentially, Meghan Markle is considered a princess for no other reason than that when she married Prince Harry, she was forced to assume his identity.

Meghan is no more a princess than Baroness Marie Christine von Reibnitz, who is married to Prince Michael of Kent. She’s officially recognized as Princess Michael of Kent, rather than Princess Marie Christine.

The same rule applies to Meghan Markle.

Like many of her American fans, the technicalities of the situation probably won’t matter to Meghan

So, there you have it.

Meghan Markle is a princess solely through her husband. A real victory for a figure held up by feminists around the world, as yet again, she relies on the man in her life for her status.

Her history of climbing the social ladder is well known, and the men in her life have been the catalysts to get Meghan Markle to where she is today.

But Meghan likely doesn’t care. Like most Americans, she isn’t really educated on what the British royal family is, and what it stands for.

After all, she always wanted to be a Disney princess, according to her half-brother Thomas:

Watching her grow up I don’t think it was the British Royal Family, it was the princess thing – Cinderella and all that kind of stuff, Beauty and the Beast and all those Disney movies that revolve around being a Princess and a Prince and being swept off your feet.

In conclusion, Meghan Markle isn’t really a princess – at least not in the sense most people think. But for her and her fans, the tentative link through marriage will likely be enough.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.