Prince Harry is facing mounting criticism following reports that he is considering changing his surname from Windsor-Mountbatten to “Spencer,” the maiden name of his late mother, Princess Diana. The move, if confirmed, would mark a profound and symbolic break from his royal heritage.
The Duke of Sussex is believed to have raised the idea during a recent private conversation with his maternal uncle, Earl Charles Spencer, while visiting the United Kingdom. The news has reignited debate about Harry’s ongoing rift with the royal family and the depth of his estrangement from his father, King Charles III.
Veteran broadcaster Anne Diamond, speaking on GB News, did not mince words in her reaction to the potential name change. “I can’t think of a more hurtful insult that Harry could deliver to his father, can you?” she asked. “To say, ‘I no longer want your name. I want my mother’s name.”
Diamond continued, “It’s like declaring a divorce, only worse.” Her remarks reflect a growing sentiment among royal commentators who see the move as not just personal, but deeply political. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams also weighed in, describing the alleged plan as another sign of the Sussexes’ fractured relationship with the monarchy.
“You wonder precisely what else the Sussexes could do,” he remarked. “We saw Harry recently on the BBC with all sorts of accusations, some of them rather fantastic.” Fitzwilliams also took aim at past claims made by the couple, particularly Meghan Markle’s assertion during their Oprah interview that their son Archie was denied a royal title due to racial bias.
“There’s no doubt in the Oprah interview, where Meghan floated the prospect of Archie not becoming a prince because of some kind of racism, was utter nonsense,” he said. “The moment they became grandchildren of the monarch, both of them had the option of taking the HRH.”
Fitzwilliams concluded by criticizing what he sees as a lack of strategic thinking in the Sussexes’ actions.
“The problem with the Sussexes is, clearly, very little has been thought out. They are supposed to have advisers.”
While the surname change remains unconfirmed, the speculation alone has intensified scrutiny of Prince Harry’s efforts to reshape his identity and legacy outside the framework of the royal family. As the divide deepens, observers question whether reconciliation is even possible—or if symbolic decisions like this one are making the gap irreversible.