The birth of Meghan and Harry’s second child is fast approaching, which suggests that she will give her first cries on American soil. This raises the question that already arose for their first-born, Archie: what will be her nationality?
Will the little girl be American or British? Well, she can be both if she wants. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s unborn child should be able to enjoy dual nationality, like her big brother Archie before her. However, the circumstances are different: the last born of the Sussexes will not be born on English soil. Because what counts here is not only the place of her birth, but also the respective citizenships of her parents.
On the one hand, the father, Prince Harry, is a British citizen, and as the British government’s website explains about the transmission of nationality: “British citizenship is normally transmitted automatically, from one generation to the next, for children born outside the United Kingdom. This means that Archie’s little sister will be able to benefit from this automatic citizenship, even if she was born on the other side of the Atlantic, but that her children, Harry and Meghan’s grandchildren, will have to apply for it.
British citizenship denied to Meghan
And since it is very likely that the little girl will be born in California, she will be protected by the U.S. Constitution. The 14th Amendment automatically grants citizenship to anyone born on US soil. Not to mention the fact that Meghan Markle, born and raised in Los Angeles, and therefore an American citizen, could have passed on her nationality anyway, as she can do with her first child.
Meghan Markle had indicated that she wanted to become a British citizen after her marriage to her prince, but the English press had revealed in January 2021 that her application had been denied. The Duchess of Sussex would not have met the criteria, very strict, to which must conform the British aspirants, and in particular those concerning the residence on the soil of Albion.
It is thus necessary to reside three years in England, and to stay on the territory more than 270 consecutive days. Now installed with his family in California, it is unlikely that the former actress repeats his application. It remains to be seen whether Prince Harry will ever start a naturalization process.
