The Duke of Sussex reportedly approached his uncle, Earl Spencer, as he “actively explored ways” to change his family name.
Prince Harry reportedly wants to change his family name (Image: Getty)
Prince Harry has allegedly been eyeing changing his family name to Specer – his mother, the late Princess Diana’s name, reports have claimed. Reports suggested that the Duke of Sussex sought advice from Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, on how to assume the family surname.
According to sources, this would mean that his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, would have to ditch their existing surname of Mountbatten-Windsor. Harry is thought to have discussed the issue” with his uncle and “actively explored ways” how to make the change during a visit to Britain – the date of which is unspecified. But according to The Mail on Sunday, the duke was told that “the legal hurdles were insurmountable”.
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet use Mountbatten-Windsor as their surname (Image: Instagram/@meghan)
A source said: “They had a very amicable conversation and Spencer advised him against taking such a step.”
The outlet stressed that Harry’s move with the Earl would only further deepen the rift between him and the Royal Family, as it would be “particularly hurtful” to King Charles, who “cherishes” his family name.
The Duke of Sussex has been contacted for comment.
The monarch does not usually use a family name, as the reigning sovereign; however, when one is needed, it is Mountbatten-Windsor.
The surname is available to all descendants of the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. It combines the Royal Family’s name of Windsor and the late Duke’s adopted surname of Mountbatten.
Harry’s children use the family name on their birth certificates – Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
Even though their children’s family name is Mountbatten-Windsor, Meghan recently insisted on her surname being Sussex after being given the title by Queen Elizabeth when she married Prince Harry in 2018.
The Duchess of Sussex corrected one of her pals during an episode of her Netflix show saying that “I’m Sussex now”.
In the second episode of With Love, Meghan, the duchess welcomed actress Mindy Kaling.
Meghan told her pal: “It’s so funny you keep saying Meghan Markle – you know I’m Sussex now.
“You have kids and you go, ‘No, I share my name with my children’. I didn’t know how meaningful it would be to me but it just means so much to go ‘This is our family name. Our little family name.'”
