King Charles was forced to give Prince Edward title of Duke of Edinburgh

King Charles "didn't intend" to give his brother Prince Edward the title of the Duke of Edinburgh as part of his plans to "slim down" the monarchy, said a royal expert.

Speaking at his Palace Confidential talk show, Richard Eden said Prince Harry's decision to give his children the titles of Prince and Princess may have "sabotaged" King Charles's plans for a slimmed-down monarchy.

He said when Harry and Meghan started using the prince and princess titles for their children, it became clear this wasn’t going to happen and then King Charles could hardly justify not giving Prince Edward the title he’d been promised by their parents.

"It was a big deal and I really think that was behind it," he said.

Harry and Meghan made their announcement after the christening of their daughter Lilibet.

Although senior members of the royal family were invited to attend the christening, nobody cared to travelled to the US for the ceremony.