One royal expert has claimed Meghan and Prince Harry's baby Archie could be subject to a royal law surrounding marriage, whether or not he decides to use his royal title.
According to a constitutional expert, the 2013 Succession of the Crown Act rule that royals who are sixth-in-line to the throne and above must ask the presiding monarch for permission to marry is likely to apply to Archie one day.
Expert Iain MacMarthanne explained Archie is likely to be subject to the same royal rule as his cousins - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Archie Harrison, one, is expected to be raised in Montecito, Santa Barbara, after Meghan Markle, 39, and Prince Harry, 35, bought a home and settled there last month.
While Montecito is something of a celebrity haunt it is miles away from the royal bubble Archie may have grown-up in had his parents not left the UK.
Meghan and Prince Harry's decision to ditch their roles as senior royals was in part motivated by their wish to give Archie a "more peaceful life."
While the doting parents did not give Archie a royal title following his birth, he is still seventh in line to the throne and will move up the line of succession when his grandfather Prince Charles, 71, becomes king.
Once Prince Charles is king Archie will automatically become a prince and it will be up to him to decide whether he wants to use his royal title when he reaches 18.
However, even if Archie decides against using his HRH style, there is still a chance he will be subject to a royal law surrounding marriage, one royal expert has claimed.
Mr MacMarthanne told Express.co.uk : "Prior to the Succession of the Crown Act 2013 all descendants of George II, under the terms of the Royal Marriages Act 1772, unless the issue of a princess who had married into a foreign royal family, had to obtain the sovereign’s permission to marry in order to retain their rights in succession.
"The 2013 Act sought to bring multiple pieces of outdated and discriminatory legislation relating to the monarchy up to date."
"Through this Act male primogeniture was abolished, allowing the first born child irrespective of gender to become heir apparent.
"The disqualification from inheriting the throne by marrying a Catholic was removed; and the Royal Marriages Act of 1772 was repealed, resulting in only the first six in line to the throne being required to obtain the sovereign’s permission."
Either Prince Charles or Prince William are likely to be on the throne when Archie becomes old enough to marry.
If Meghan and Harry's son does one day wish to tie the knot it's expected he will have to seek royal consent, just as other senior royals.
Mr MacMarthanne added: "Consequently, should the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wish to marry, they will be required to seek the sovereign’s permission.
"Rather than moving further away from this requirement the Cambridge children will move closer when their grandfather, the Prince of Wales, inherits the throne."
The only way Archie may be freed from this obligation is if either George, Charlotte or Louis marry and have children before him which would bump him down the line of succession, or if Kate and William have a fourth child and Prince Charles is still alive.
Mr MacMarthanne explained: "Indeed, with this movement, as things presently stand, it might be anticipated that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son, should he marry, will have to seek the sovereign’s permission unless one of his three cousins marry and have children first, as he will be sixth in line when his grandfather is king."
Meghan, Harry and Archie were due to visit the Queen and Prince Philip at Balmoral this summer but the trip was called off amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Archie Harrison has not been back to the UK since he travelled to Canada with his parents for Christmas last November.
Meghan and Harry have kept their UK home at Frogmore Cottage but it is not clear when they will next step foot in the UK.
The couple are currently in the process of paying back the £2.4 million of British taxpayers money spent on renovating the Windsor home.
