The surname that Harry and Meghan now use for their children no longer Mountbatten-Windsor, adopted at their birth, but Sussex. Why never? Archie and Lilibet were given the titles Prince and Princess of Sussex when their paternal grandfather, Charles, became king in May 2023. And using titles as surnames is part of the tradition of members of the royal family.
They do it also the children of William and Kate, who at school are known by their friends and teachers as George Wales, Charlotte Wales and Louis Wales. And so did Harry and William, who used the surname Wales (Harry, in the army, was known as Captain Wales), because their father, at the time, was the Prince of Wales.
Technically the royal family surname is Mountbatten-Windsor and, since Harry had lost the title of Royal Highness, his children had been registered under that surname.
The royal family explains on its website that Mountbatten-Windsor was declared the official surname in 1960, 13 years after Prince Philip married Queen Elizabeth. “The effect of the declaration was that all of the Queen's children, on occasions when they needed a surname, would have the surname Mountbatten-Windsor,” the website reads. «In most cases, members of the royal family, who have the title of Royal Highness, they don't need a last namebut if at any time any of them needed it (for example in the event of marriage), the surname would be Mountbatten-Windsor.”
The “new” surname of Harry and Meghan's children was only noticed when the Duke and Duchess launched their new website this week, Sussex.com. This choice, as explained to Times a source close to the couple, «reflects the fact that the family, since the king's coronation, has the same surname, for the first time. It represents their unification and is a moment of pride.”
The site has already attracted several criticisms: some dispute the fact that it would have been used the coat of arms of the house, as if it were an attempt to reaffirm royal status. Harry is described as a “military veteran, mental health advocate and environmental activist” and Meghan as a “feminist and champion of human rights and gender equality”, as well as “one of the most influential women in the world”.
Source: Vanity Fair
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