Camilla Jessen
A name change that could have shaken the royal family: Prince Harry reportedly considered dropping his royal surname.
Since stepping back from royal duties, Prince Harry has repeatedly shown his distance from the monarchy.
Now, it has emerged that he also contemplated changing his surname — in honor of his late mother, Princess Diana.
This was reported by the Daily Mail.
He Wanted to Take His Mother’s Name
After Harry (40) and Meghan (43) resigned from their royal roles in 2020, they began using the surname “Sussex,” derived from the ducal title Queen Elizabeth II granted them on their wedding day.
But according to The Daily Mail, Harry quietly considered adopting his mother’s maiden name: Spencer.
Such a move would have meant giving up “Mountbatten-Windsor,” the surname used by their children, Archie (6) and Lilibet (soon to be 4).
During a recent visit to the U.K., Harry reportedly discussed the idea with his uncle, Earl Charles Spencer (61), who owns the family estate, Althorp.
A friend of the prince told the newspaper that the conversation was amicable, but his uncle cautioned against the change due to potential legal and familial complications:
“Spencer advised him not to pursue this step,” the friend said.
A Sensitive Topic
Names and titles have long been delicate issues for Harry and Meghan. Though granted the titles Duke and Duchess of Sussex by Queen Elizabeth in 2018, the couple have chosen to use “Sussex” as their family name in private settings.
In an episode of the Netflix series Harry & Meghan, Meghan corrected a guest who referred to her by her maiden name:
“My name is Sussex now,” she said. “It means a lot to me that this is our family name.”
Had the name change gone ahead, it would have held symbolic value for their children. Their daughter’s full name would have become Lilibet Diana Spencer — a clear tribute to Princess Diana.
Royal commentator Tom Bower has previously claimed that Meghan looks up to Diana and wishes to continue her legacy.
Sources close to the royal family believe such a name change would not have been well received by King Charles, who reportedly has a strong emotional connection to the name Mountbatten — the surname his father, Prince Philip, adopted upon becoming a British citizen in 1947.