Prince Harry’s Last Name Is Complicated Now That He’s Stepped Down from Royal Duties! Hey there, you know Prince Harry? Grandson to Queen Elizabeth? Husband to Meghan Markle and father of Archie? Person who somewhat dramatically quit the royal familyand is sixth in line to the throne? Well, a couple fun facts about his name: first of all, it’s not Harry. It’s Henry!
And while we’re at it, his full name is Henry Charles Albert David, which begs the question…does Harry just…not have a last name? TBH, it’s complicated due to a bunch of various rules and proclamations, so let’s get into it.
No, Harry Doesn’t Technically Have a Last Name
Due to being royal, Harry doesn’t have a last name like us mere mortals. In fact, the official name listed on his son Archie’s birth certificate is His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex. (Side note: Imagine your occupation being “Prince of the United Kingdom.)
However! Back when he served in the military, Harry used the last name “Wales” and was known as Captain Harry Wales, according to a circa 2011 Telegraph article.
So, Where’d Archie Mountbatten-Windsor Come From?
While Harry doesn’t technically have a last name, his son Archie uses Mountbatten-Windsor. Why, you ask?! It’s a little complicated, but TL;DR: this name came into royal use back in 1960, when the Queen and Prince Philip decided they wanted their non titled descendants (read: royals who don’t use HRH) to have their ~own special last name~.
The royal family’s website states that “The Queen’s descendants, other than those with the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince/Princess, or female descendants who marry, would carry the name of Mountbatten-Windsor.” Which is why Archie (who doesn’t have a title!) uses the last name and Harry (who is a Prince!) does not.
Psst: In case you’re curious, “Mountbatten” is the last name of Prince Philip’s maternal grandparents, while “Windsor” is the surname George V gave his descendants before Elizabeth switched things up.
So, What Happens Now That Harry’s Not a HRH?
At this point you might be wondering what’s going to happen now that Harry is no longer using His Royal Highness amid stepping down from the royal family. While he could start using the last name Mountbatten-Windsor, he apparently hadn’t signed any paperwork with that name as of last April. So for now, he’s simply Harry, Duke of Sussex (or Prince Harry, if you’re feeling fancy!).
Either way, Harry can use Mountbatten-Windsor whenever he wants: part of the Queen’s 1960 declaration states that when members of the royal family need a last name (think: official paper work) they can use Mountbatten-Windsor. On top of that, it should be noted that Prince William and Kate Middleton’s kids use the last name “Cambridge” at school, which suggests Harry could potentially use “Sussex” as a last name if he wanted to. TBD, friends!
Called “America’s Number ONE Gossip Columnist” by The National Enquirer. Rob ‘Naughty But Nice’ Shuter breaks celebrity news every day on his website NaughtyGossip.com where he delivers all the dish about the stars we love in his naughty but nice signature style. You can also catch him co-hosting and breaking celebrity news on Good Day New York, The Today Show, The Talk, Wendy Williams Show, CNN, Extra and Z100’s ‘Elvis Duran.’ Previously, Rob was the Huffington Post’s only celebrity columnist and the former executive editor of OK! Magazine. Rob has also hosted his own Saturday night talk show on Mark Cuban’s channel and his own daily morning show, ‘The Gossip Table,’ on VH1! He just celebrated his one-year anniversary on Radio Rob – his subscription-based daily live podcast gossip show! Breaking some of the biggest entertainment stories, including Jamie Lynn Spears’s pregnancy news, Britney’s first post-meltdown interview, Eva Longoria’s wedding, and baby exclusives for Jessica Alba, Tori Spelling and Mathew McConaughey’s tots, Rob always knows where to find the best scoop. Before Rob was one of the world’s most successful entertainment reporters, he was a publicist working for Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, P. Diddy, Jessica Simpson and Jon Bon Jovi! Now he is bringing all this experience to his new show on I HEART MEDIA in his unique cheeky way, that is always a pinch and never a punch!
Prince Harry’s Last Name Is Complicated! Prince Harry’s Last Name Is Complicated