Buckingham Palace has rejected reports that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s passports were “delayed” because of their royal titles.

On June 4, The Guardian reported that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had thought about changing their children’s surname, worried that King Charles “hadn’t wanted Archie and Lili to carry [their] titles.”

While Archie and Lilibet weren’t born princes or princesses, they gained those titles when their grandfather became king, as he is the monarch’s second son.

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet passport claims

Regarding the passports of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, recent reports link their situation to another royal story. It’s said that Prince Harry spoke with his uncle, Charles Spencer, about the possibility of the children using their grandmother’s maiden name, Spencer.

According to The Guardian, this idea came from “sheer exasperation” after repeated delays by British officials.

The Sussexes reportedly waited nearly six months for their kids’ passports. There were concerns the applications were being “blocked” because they included the title HRH (His/Her Royal Highness).

The applications apparently listed both the HRH title and the surname Sussex for Archie and Lilibet.

A source mentioned that King Charles didn’t want his grandchildren to have titles, especially not HRH. They added that “the British passports, once created, would be the first and perhaps the only legal proof of their names.”