Prince Harry has been considering a change to his last name, reportedly consulting with his late mother, Princess Diana, on the matter, according to a report from the Daily Mail.
The Duke of Sussex is said to be exploring the possibility of adopting his mother’s surname, Spencer. This change would mean he would have to relinquish the Mountbatten-Windsor surname, which his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, currently carry.
Sources indicate that he discussed this issue during a rare visit to Britain with his uncle, Count Spencer, who advised him against pursuing the change due to the complexities and significant legal hurdles involved.
According to a friend of Harry’s, “They had a very friendly conversation, and Spencer advised him not to take such a step.”
Harry’s consultation with the earl suggests a deepening rift with his family, particularly as it would likely disappoint his brother and father.
Mountbatten-Windsor is the surname shared by the descendants of the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, blending the royal family name Windsor with the Duke of Edinburgh’s adopted surname.
On their birth certificates, their children are listed as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
Royal author Tom Bauer noted that “Meghan decided that her real goal in life was to be the next Diana.” If the name change had occurred, Meghan’s daughter would have been named Lilibet Diana Spencer, which would have honored Harry’s late mother.
This potential change would be particularly concerning for King Charles, who values the Mountbatten name immensely, just as his father did.
1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, a mentor to Prince Philip, also had a significant influence on his great-grandson, the future King Charles.
Philip adopted the Mountbatten surname upon becoming a naturalized British citizen and renouncing his Greek and Danish royal titles in 1947. In 1960, the Queen and Philip agreed that their direct descendants would be known as Mountbatten-Windsor.
Names and titles are sensitive topics for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who received their Sussex titles from Queen Elizabeth on their wedding day in 2018. Recently, Meghan reiterated that her surname is Sussex after correcting a guest on a Netflix cooking and lifestyle program.
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