Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be reclaiming the Sussex name, but they almost went in a very different direction!
According to a new report from DailyMail.com‘s The Mail on Sunday, the Duke of Sussex asked his uncle Charles Spencer what he thought of the idea of Harry switching his family’s last name to Spencer in honor of Princess Diana! Whoa!
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Sources claimed the Spare author actively explored a name change. Not only would this have been a really sweet way to honor his late mother, but perhaps most importantly, it would have been a brutal jab at his father King Charles III and the rest of his family!
Harry reportedly discussed the idea with his uncle, the 9th Earl Spencer and Diana’s younger brother, during one of his rare trips to the UK. Unfortunately, Charles didn’t think it was a good idea, a friend of Harry’s shared:
“They had a very amicable conversation and Spencer advised him against taking such a step.”
The main reason Harry was advised against it? Because the legal challenges would be too complex!
Currently, Mountbatten-Windsor is the official surname given to descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip — a combination of the royal family name Windsor and Philip’s adopted surname when he became a naturalized British subject. It is the last name on Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet‘s birth certificates (even though they are currently using Sussex after their parents’ royal title, as is also a tradition).
It’s unclear exactly when Harry was having these conversations, but his most recent trips to his home country were in relation to his legal battle for security in the UK — a battle he ultimately lost. He never met up with his estranged father or brother, Prince William, during these trips — so, it’s an interesting added layer to think he was having secret meetings about cutting ties with them even further, despite now claiming he wants reconciliation.
In fact, the outlet noted the name change would be incredibly hurtful to the current monarch, who Harry is already at odds with, considering Charles loves the Mountbatten name, just as his own father had. It would have been such a public slap in the face!
Speculating on a timeline of all this, it was only just a few months ago that Meghan really leaned into the Sussex family name, something she and her husband had tried to steer away from after exiting their working royal roles in 2020. While speaking to People in March, she explained her change of heart:
“It’s our shared name as a family, and I guess I hadn’t recognized how meaningful that would be to me until we had children. I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me.”
It’s starting to make even more sense now why she was so determined to go from Meghan Markle to Meghan Sussex. They are trying to carve out their own family identity as far away from the other royals as possible! Though if they’d actually made the change, Meghan would NEVER live down rumors she’s wanted to be the “new Diana”!
Thoughts? Do U think Harry should still explore this option? Sound OFF (below).
[Image via MEGA/WENN/Anwar Hussein]
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