A Shot at a New Name: Prince Harry Contemplated Changing His Last Name Post-Royal Exit
Royal Family Departure: Harry Pursues Independence by Dropping the Windsor Surname - Prince Harry's Decision to Distance Himself from the Royal Family Involved a Desire to sever Ties with His Surname
Wanna know something scandalous? ol' Prince Harry allegedly had a hankering to swap his last name from Mountbatten-Windsor to Spencer, a move that could've caused quite the kerfuffle in the royal fam. Yeah, you heard that right, the Duke of Sussex hit up his uncle, Earl Spencer, for advice during a rare trip to the UK after Megxit. Seems like the "Mail on Sunday" got wind of this juicy tidbit, courtesy of sources close to Harry.
Earl Spencer, Diana's brother, reportedly gave him some friendly advice against the name change. But let me tell ya, the mere fact that Harry even considered it shows just how deep the divide between him and his family runs.
The Symbolic Story Behind a Name Change
Changing the name would've been a poke in the eye for King Charles, fam, seriously. Mountbatten's the anglicized version of the German noble von Battenberg family, and Philip, his dad, traced his roots to them. Windsor used to belong to yet another German noble family, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. George V ditched his German names due to political pressure during World War I, naming his descendants Windsor, derived from the royal residence Windsor Castle. Harry and Meghan's kids, Archie and Lilibet, are listed as Mountbatten-Windsor on their birth certificates. Had Harry gone through with it, sweet Lilibet would've been Lilibet Diana Spencer—a nod to Diana, for sure.
- Prince Harry
- King Charles
- Earl Spencer
- Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor
- Princess Diana
- Prince Philip
Fun fact: Harry and Meghan opted to go with Sussex as their family name post-royal life, courtesy of a title granted by Queen Elizabeth II on their wedding day in 2018. Meghan even emphasized that their family name is "Sussex" just to squash any confusion, fam.
Sources:
- [Mail on Sunday](https://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-10023491/Prince-Harry-asked-uncle-Earl-Spencer-change-name-Mountbatten-Windsor-Spencer- Міжімне питання: Принц Гаррі хотів перейменувати свою прізвище від Mountbatten-Windsor до Spence, рух, який міг би спричинити запал у королівській сім'ї. Як ви можете безсоромно сказати, Дук Сассексу вдаючись до свого дядька, графа Спенсер, попросив поради в рамках рідкісного візиту до Великої Британії після Megxit. Повідомляється, що газета "Mail on Sunday" отримала це сенсаційне повідомлення, від імені джерела із кола принца Гаррі.
- "Prince Harry asked uncle Earl Spencer to change his name to Spencer, reports say"
- Prince Harry and Meghan: A Royal Exit – The Uncensored Story
- The Ancestry of Prince Philip
- The Meaning Behind the Royal Family's Names
Prince Harry's contemplation of changing his last name to Spencer could have been an implicit insult to King Charles III, given the historical links of the Mountbatten and Windsor surnames to German nobility. Earl Spencer, Prince Harry's uncle and Diana, Princess Diana's brother, was consulted about this possible name change, signaling a deepening rift within the royal family. In contrast, the royal family's focus on diversity and inclusion, as well as their financial ventures in the business world, reflects a modernizing trend among the Royals, including King Charles III, Queen of England, and their descendants.
