Prince Harry of England, at 40 years old, has pondered the idea of abandoning his surname Mountbatten-Windsor. According to The Mail on Sunday, the youngest son of King Charles III expressed interest in adopting his mother's surname, Spencer. During an unusual visit to Britain, he discussed this matter with Earl Spencer, Diana's brother, at their family residence in Althorp, Northamptonshire. However, the legal challenges seemed insurmountable, as reported by the British media based on testimonies from sources close to the family.

Sources confirm that the Duke of Sussex actively explored ways to assume his mother's surname, a decision that would involve shedding Mountbatten-Windsor, the surname used by his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. "They had a very amicable conversation, and Spencer advised him against taking that step," stated a friend of Prince Harry.

Mountbatten-Windsor is the available surname for the descendants of the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. It combines the Windsor surname of the British royal family with the surname adopted by the late Duke of Edinburgh. "This move would be particularly painful for King Charles, who cherishes the Mountbatten name as much as his father did," the British media affirms. Philip adopted the Mountbatten surname upon becoming a British citizen and renouncing his Greek and Danish royal titles in 1947. In 1960, Queen Elizabeth II and he decided that their direct descendants would be known as Mountbatten-Windsor.

Though it seems unlikely that the Duke of Sussex will succeed in adopting his mother's surname, merely considering it highlights the significant rift that remains between him and the royalty. "Meghan Markle decided her true purpose in life was to be Diana," opines Tom Bower, a writer specializing in British royalty, for The Mail on Sunday, suggesting that the instigator of the surname change is really the prince's wife. The topic of surnames already sparked discussion when Netflix premiered the cooking and lifestyle program With Love, Meghan. In one of the eight episodes, her friend Mindy Kaling addresses her as Meghan Markle, and the Duchess responds, "It's so funny you keep saying Meghan Markle. You know I'm Sussex now. I didn't realize how significant it would be for me, but it means so much to say: 'This is our surname. Our little surname'." Queen Elizabeth bestowed the Sussex titles on Harry and Meghan on their wedding day in 2018.

Their two children have also recently begun using Sussex as their surname, although their birth certificates officially list them as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. Archie, now six years old and sixth in line to the throne, and Lilibet, who will turn four on Wednesday and is seventh in line, have also been named Prince and Princess of Sussex on the official royal family website. Previously, they were listed as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor. They were not prince and princess at birth because they were not grandchildren of the monarch, but they gained the right to these titles when King Charles ascended the throne in 2022.