Prince Harry and Meghan Markle believe King Charles III may have tried to stop their kids from accessing British passports!
We all know by now that the Duke of Sussex reportedly asked his uncle Charles Spencer what he thought about the possibility of Harry changing his family’s last name to Spencer after his late mother Princess Diana. But according to The Guardian, there’s a larger reason he almost did that!
Related: William Takes Swipe At Harry While Stepping Into Role Once Meant For Him!
On Wednesday, sources told the outlet that Harry and Meghan grew “exasperated” when they could not get UK passports for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. After repeated delays, it took them nearly SIX MONTHS to get them — far beyond the standard processing time of around three weeks. Whoa! A source close the the couple told the outlet:
“There was clear reluctance to issue passports for the kids.”
A source for People also confirmed that the delay was way longer than normal. Something was seemingly going on! But what — and why!?
Until 2023, Archie had US and UK passports that used the last name Mountbatten-Windsor. But in these applications, the parents applied using their surname Sussex, which they recently started using again publicly. That’s not all… A legal insider told The Guardian that government officials were “dragging their feet because the passport applications included the titles HRH (His/Her Royal Highness) for both children.”
Wait, what?
When the Archewell founders stepped away from the royal family, they reportedly made an agreement with Queen Elizabeth II that they would not use their HRH titles anymore — though we know that hasn’t stopped the Suits alum from controversially using the moniker in her private circles. But now they’re using them for their kids in an official capacity?? Huh…
Apparently, the Duke wants to keep the HRH titles for his kids so they can decide when they are older if they want to become working royals or stay out of public life. That’s assuming they’ll have a choice, though! With the state of his family feud, it doesn’t seem very likely that Prince William, when he eventually takes over the throne, is going to be very willing to trust any of the Sussexes!
Nevertheless, the use of the royal titles was apparently a big issue with Charles. A source explained:
“The King hadn’t wanted Archie and Lili to carry the titles, most of all the HRH, and the British passports, once created, would be the first and perhaps the only legal proof of their names.”
Wow.
Harry and Meghan started to speculate their relatives could’ve been involved in the holdup when they were met with continuous delays. After not receiving the passports after three months of their application because of “technical issues,” they reapplied via the 24-hour passport service, but their appointment was canceled at the last minute due to a “systems failure.” The source furthered:
“Harry was at a point where British passports for his children with their updated Sussex surnames (since the death of Queen Elizabeth II) were being blocked with a string of excuses over the course of five months.”
That’s when he got the idea to switch the last name:
“Out of sheer exasperation he went to his uncle to effectively say: ‘My family are supposed to have the same name and they’re stopping that from happening because the kids are legally HRH, so if push comes to shove, if this blows up and they won’t let the kids be called Sussex, then can we use Spencer as a surname?’”
Sources also claimed the Montecito residents were upset when previous reports about the Spencer name change emerged — because “it’s completely untrue” that his uncle advised him against the switch due to legal challenges.
Passports were eventually issued for the children — but only after Harry and Meghan’s lawyers got involved. The legal team wrote to the UK Home Office and threatened to file a data subject access request, which could have exposed internal conversations or decisions behind the delay. Inneresting that they were so quick to fold after that…
When The Guardian reached out about the matter, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess said:
“We do not comment on private issues pertaining to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s children.”
Buckingham Palace, meanwhile, denied claims that the monarch or his officials played any part in the delay, per The Daily Telegraph. Hmm. This seems messy — as things always are for this family!
Reactions? Do U think Charles interfered at all?? Sound OFF (below)!
The post Harry & Meghan Worried King Charles ‘Blocked’ Kids’ Passports Over HRH Titles — That’s Why They Considered Name Change! appeared first on Perez Hilton.