What if Meghan and Harry Were to Adopt a Child from Africa? Would the Child Be Called "Prince" and "Princess"?

IF MEGHAN AND HARRY ADOPT CHILDREN, THESE CHILDREN SHOULD BE TREATED AS THEIR BIOLOGICAL CHILDREN WHICH MEANS THAT ADOPTED CHILDREN SHOULD HAVE THE SAME TITLE AS THEIR BIOLOGICAL CHILDREN, RIGHT? 

Both Meghan and Harry have expressed their love of Africa and of the African people. It would be so amazing if they announced that they were adopting a child from the continent. Or maybe two children. Many celebrities have adopted children in Africa including Madonna, Charlize Theron, Angelina Jolie, and Sandra Bullock.

Harry and Meghan are obviously not celebrities. They are royalebrities and their status is a bit more complicated. But how amazing it would be if they expanded their family to include two children from Africa. They have enough resources and house to accommodate a few more kids.

The problem is how the royal family will feel about these children being part of the royal family. What would be interesting would be the status of these children in the British royal family, as far as position in line, and also as far as titles are concerned.

No doubt the powers that be would try to argue that the rules of accession only apply to biological children of royal heirs. But that would seem untrue because the letters patent clearly never even considered for a minute that an heir to the throne would be reduced to adopting children. It seems they have always assumed that the royal wives would be fertile and would bear their own children.

But the times in which we live are certainly different and Meghan and Harry are unpredictable enough that they could just as easily decide to adopt two African babies. By law, these babies would be equally their children as their biological children and would therefore be entitled to all the same rights and privileges as their biological children. No?

It is safe to say, however, that Charles and William, Kate and Camilla, and, of course, the entire royal household would have a collective fit if Meghan and Harry pulled a move like this.  For sure, the minute King Charles' people read this, they will hurriedly change the rules to say that only natural/biological children can have the title of prince and princess per the letters patent of 1917.

It is probably better for these unwitting children if Harry and Meghan decline to put them through the trauma they are bound to be put through for their entire lives. The media will pit these poor kids against every royal baby ever born but especially against their own adoptive brother and sister. It will be just awful for those kids and a hell that no one should have to endure for a lifetime.

It would be fascinating to watch, though. 

Photo credit from flickr creative commons commercial use license