Prince Harry seriously contemplated changing his surname to Spencer following his departure from royal duties, according to recent accounts. The Duke of Sussex allegedly proposed adopting his late mother Princess Diana’s maiden name for himself and his children during his transition to private life in the United States.
Sources indicate that Harry consulted with his maternal uncle, Earl Spencer, about the potential name change. The conversation reportedly ended with the earl advising against the move, citing potential legal complications that could arise from such a significant alteration.
Currently, Harry and Meghan’s children, Archie and Lilibet, carry the Mountbatten-Windsor surname as established by royal tradition, though they also use Sussex as their family name. Their titles were formally updated to Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex following the ascension of King Charles to the throne.
The significance of the Sussex name has been emphasized by Meghan in various public appearances. During her Netflix series, she noted that being referred to as “Sussex” rather than by her maiden name holds deep meaning for their family unit. She described sharing this surname with her husband and children as an important aspect of their family identity and love story.
Despite this emphasis on their shared surname, Meghan has occasionally opted to use only her first name in certain professional contexts, including during the launch of her recent podcast series focused on women entrepreneurs.
