Prince Harry was apparently ready to make a serious move away from his royal roots — by dropping his Mountbatten-Windsor surname and adopting his late mother Princess Diana’s family name, Spencer. Reports have emerged that Harry even approached his uncle, Earl Spencer, for guidance on how to make the change.
According to insiders, the Prince Harry was “actively exploring ways” to officially switch his last name to Spencer. The change would mean a complete shift in identity for Harry and could even impact his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, who currently carry the Mountbatten-Windsor surname.
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During a visit to the UK — the exact timing of which hasn’t been made public — Harry reportedly had a private conversation with Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, to talk through the idea. But, as reported by The Mail on Sunday, the proposal hit a wall.
“They had a very amicable conversation and Spencer advised him against taking such a step,” a source said. Apparently, Harry was told that “the legal hurdles were insurmountable.” So despite his deep emotional ties to his mother’s name, the name change plan seems to have stalled out.
If he had gone through with it, the move likely would’ve only added more tension to his already strained relationship with the Royal Family. The Mail pointed out that this particular move could be “particularly hurtful” to King Charles, who is said to “cherish” his family name.
The Duke of Sussex hasn’t commented on the reports. But the situation adds another layer to the long-running drama surrounding his and Meghan Markle’s evolving relationship with the monarchy.
The Royal Family’s surname is a unique case in itself. Monarchs don’t typically use a surname at all. But when one is needed — like for official documents — the family uses Mountbatten-Windsor. That name blends Windsor, the name of the Royal House, with Mountbatten, the adopted surname of Prince Philip.
Harry and Meghan’s children both use Mountbatten-Windsor on their birth certificates. That choice reflects their position in the royal line while acknowledging both sides of their heritage.
Interestingly, while the kids carry the Mountbatten-Windsor surname, Meghan has embraced a different identity since marrying into the royal family. She proudly uses her title and insists on going by Sussex.
Related: Prince Harry has been unable to overshadow King Charles’ Canada trip
In her Netflix docuseries With Love, Meghan, she gently corrected her friend Mindy Kaling during an appearance on the show when Kaling kept using “Meghan Markle.”
“It’s so funny you keep saying Meghan Markle — you know I’m Sussex now,” Meghan said.
She added, “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.’”
So while Harry may have put his name change plans on hold for now, the desire to honor his mother’s legacy and carve out a distinct identity for his family still clearly runs deep.
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