Rumors have been circulating about a legal loophole that could allow the U.S. government to strip Meghan Markle of her title as Duchess of Sussex.
A tweet about Meghan Markle's title potentially being revoked by the U.S. government, ?
In the tweet, GG claims that, according to the U.S. Constitution, it's illegal for American citizens to hold titles from foreign countries. The claim goes on to suggest that if President Trump wanted to, he could demand Meghan Markle stop using her title or face losing her U.S. citizenship. GG also included a screenshot of what seems to be supporting information.
Back in 1810, the U.S. government was concerned that foreign titles, particularly from European royalty, could negatively influence the young country. So, there was a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would have banned American citizens from receiving foreign titles. It passed through the House and Senate, but it was never ratified by the states. This means it never became law, even though it’s still mentioned in discussions about potential constitutional amendments.
Since then, this has remained an unresolved issue, though it’s been largely ignored. It's worth noting that in modern times, there are laws that prevent people from receiving titles if they want to become U.S. citizens. But as far as Meghan is concerned, she's already a U.S. citizen, and her title as Duchess of Sussex doesn't present any legal challenges for her citizenship."
So, in short, Meghan Markle's title is not at risk of being revoked, and the claim that the U.S. government could force her to renounce it isn't grounded in reality.
John continued, "Under current U.S. law, a U.S. citizen can inherit or use a foreign title, as long as it doesn't require them to swear allegiance to a foreign government. So Meghan can still be the Duchess of Sussex without any issues, provided she’s not pledging allegiance to the UK. The idea that the U.S. government could take away her title is just not true."
John also explained that the proposed amendment from 1810 never gained traction and was derailed in part due to the War of 1812, when British forces attacked Washington, D.C. He joked that the British soldiers’ actions, in a way, helped sidetrack this constitutional issue.
Ultimately, John doesn't see this becoming a serious issue. Meghan Markle’s title is a non-factor for the U.S. government, and there's no legal basis to strip it from her.
For those of you curious about more details, John suggested visiting the National Archives, where official records about U.S. constitutional changes are kept. And, as he pointed out, even though this issue comes up from time to time, it’s unlikely that any serious action will be taken in the future.
