King Charles has called a royal summit to discuss the future of the institution – and in particular, the part Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should play in it. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit royal life in 2020 but have held on to their titles, including the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton titles they hold in Scotland.

But their titles will be up for discussion when the royals meet up at Balmoral for their annual summer holiday. Sources say the King is keen to map out how they and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will fit into the family over the coming decade.

Critics of the Sussexes are keen to see the monarch strip them of their titles. But in some cases, it would require an Act of Parliament, something that could create additional problems.

A source told the Express: “The Royal Family are meeting at Balmoral to discuss a number of different things, but one of them will be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. What people don’t realise is that the Balmoral gathering isn’t just a summer holiday.

“The family also participates in pre-arranged meetings where they discuss the family’s current position and how they can best prepare for the future. Last year was very much about honouring the Queen as it was the King’s first time hosting the gathering since her death, but this will be about how the family can best move forward without the Sussexes.

“Not only will Harry and Meghan’s tours and upcoming trip to Canada be on the agenda, but also their titles and peerages will be up for discussion.” It comes with Harry and Meghan currently in Colombia on a quasi-royal tour.

BRAEMAR, UNITED KINGDOM – SEPTEMBER 03: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attends the Braemar Highland Gathering at The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park on September 3, 2022 in Braemar, Scotland. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
King Charles could strip Harry and Meghan of their titles
They were given the Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles by the late Queen Elizabeth on their wedding day in 2018. As well as the Sussex and Dumbarton titles, Harry and Meghan are also the Baron and Baroness Kilkeel while the Prince was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in June 2015.

They have already been asked to stop using the HRH style while the King could easily remove ‘gifted’ titles like ‘Prince’. But the source added: “There could be a challenge made if any peerages are removed, so this is something that needs to be navigated extremely carefully.

“The title of Prince and HRH are both gifts from the sovereign and can be stripped quite easily, but Harry’s Dukedom, Earldom and Barony will have to be removed by an Act of Parliament which could throw up a lot of unnecessary problems and unwanted media attention.”