Prince Harry planned to drop Royal family name, consulted Diana’s brother: Report

Prince Harry reportedly sought advice from Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, about changing his family name to Spencer, according to a report which cited its source as saying. The Duke of Sussex is said to have actively explored the possibility of abandoning the Mountbatten-Windsor surname currently used by his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, reported dailymail.co.uk.

A friend of Harry, as per the report, revealed, "They had a very amicable conversation and Spencer advised him against taking such a step."

The discussions reportedly took place during a rare visit by Harry to Britain. However, legal challenges were deemed “insurmountable” by Earl Spencer.

A symbol of the rift with the Royal family

The fact that Harry consulted his late mother’s family over his own royal surname highlights the ongoing "toxic rift" between him and other members of the Royal Family, the news report noted. Changing the surname would have likely caused upset, especially for his brother Prince William and father King Charles.

Mountbatten-Windsor: The Royal family name

Mountbatten-Windsor is the surname designated for descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. It merges the royal family name Windsor and the adopted surname Mountbatten of the Duke of Edinburgh. Archie and Lilibet’s full names are Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, respectively.

Royal author Tom Bower was quoted as saying in the report, “Meghan decided her real object in life was to be Diana,” suggesting that the proposed name change was part of a larger tribute. Had the change succeeded, Meghan and Harry’s daughter would have been named Lilibet Diana Spencer.

Significance of the Mountbatten name to King Charles

The Mountbatten name holds particular sentimental value for King Charles, as it was adopted by his grandfather, the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, a mentor to Prince Philip and an important figure in the royal family. Philip himself adopted Mountbatten upon becoming a naturalised British subject in 1947.

King Charles and Queen Elizabeth II decided in 1960 that their direct descendants would use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.

Legal process and name sensitivities

According to the UK Government, changing a surname does not require a formal legal process but often involves a deed poll to update official documents like passports or driving licenses.

The topic of names and titles is sensitive for the Sussexes. Meghan Markle has publicly emphasised the importance of her surname, saying on her Netflix show With Love, Meghan, “You know I’m Sussex now. It just means so much to go ‘This is OUR family name. Our little family name.’”

Royal titles of Archie and Lilibet

The Sussex children’s royal titles were confirmed on the official Royal Family website following their grandfather King Charles’s accession. They are now styled as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex, ranked sixth and seventh in the line of succession.

A spokesperson for the Sussexes said, “The children's titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch. This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace.”