Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will be stepping back as senior royal family members effective March 31. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex can still keep their royal titles, but they have personally decided not to use these when they scale down their life as private individuals.
Ahead of their official exit, Prince Harry himself has dropped his title and publicly declared that people can simply call him Harry. This decision has royal fans wondering what actual names Prince Harry and Meghan might go by if they are no longer "royals."
Royal family members are usually referred by their titles, even in legal documents. For instance, on their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor's birth certificate, his father was listed as His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex. In contrast, his mother was listed as Rachel Meghan Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex.
According to Insider, Prince Harry and Meghan have the option to use Mountbatten-Windsor as their last name based on the royal family's decree. Mountbatten-Windsor is the combined family name of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth's descendants as declared by her grandfather, King George V.
However, Prince Harry and Meghan might also pick Sussex as their last name. The royal family website stated that members of the royal family could use their house name as their surname.
Before Prince Harry became the Duke of Sussex, he used to go by Harry Wales, the official house of his father, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales. When served in the military, he was called "Officer Cadet Wales."
Insider assessed, however, that Prince Harry and Meghan might go with Mountbatten-Windsor since it's the same surname as their son Archie. Meanwhile, the Sussex name has been in contention with Buckingham Palace, as Queen Elizabeth has barred them from using Sussex Royal for their upcoming ventures.
Regardless of the last name they pick, one thing remains clear. Prince Harry is still the sixth in line to the throne despite his new status as a non-working royal family member. His son, Archie, is still the seventh in line to the throne.
Sans the titles and the His/Her Royal Highness reference, Prince Harry is still the grandson of the Queen of the United Kingdom. Prince Harry and Meghan will still be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and will keep some of their patronages, which they were tasks to look after as members of the royal family.
