It’s no surprise that Prince Harry is trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the Royal Family, given their ongoing conflict.
In case you missed it, the 40-year-old has reportedly been at odds with the monarchy since 2020, when he and Meghan Markle announced they were stepping back from royal duties.
After relocating from the UK to Montecito, California, not long after, the couple stunned the world by revealing that their decision was driven by alleged mistreatment from both the British media and members of Harry’s own family.
Now, as tensions remain high, a new detail has surfaced: Harry apparently considered changing his name.
According to The Daily Mail, the Duke of Sussex sought advice from his late mother Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, about the idea during a short visit to the UK.
Prince Harry reportedly considered the idea of dropping his current surname, Mountbatten-Windsor, in favor of his late mother’s maiden name, Spencer.
But according to reports, his uncle, Earl Spencer, advised against it, citing the legal complications involved in making such a change.
A source described as a “friend of Harry’s” told the publication: “They had a very amicable conversation and Spencer advised him against taking such a step.”
The surname Mountbatten-Windsor is a combination of the Royal Family’s official name, Windsor, and Prince Philip’s family name, Mountbatten.
Harry and Meghan’s children currently bear this surname — Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
If he had actually gone through with the name change, someone like Lilibet would have ended up as Lilibet Diana Spencer.
Such a decision would likely have been deeply upsetting for King Charles, considering he was the one who gave him the Mountbatten surname in the first place.
This comes shortly after Meghan spoke about her personal connection to her name in her Netflix series With Love, Meghan.
“I don’t think anyone in the world knows that Meghan Markle has eaten Jack In The Box and loves it,” her friend Mindy Kaling remarked, following Meghan’s revelation about enjoying the fast food.
The Duchess shared that she found it amusing when Mindy kept referring to her as “Meghan Markle.”
“It’s so funny you keep saying Meghan Markle — I’m Sussex now,” she said. “Once you have kids, you start thinking, ‘No, I share a last name with my children.’”
She added, “I didn’t realize how much it would matter to me, but it really does. It’s like saying, ‘This is OUR family name — our little family name.’”
Mindy responded warmly: “Well, now I know, and I love it.”