Prince Harry allegedly encountered a six-month delay in obtaining British passports for his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, amid behind-the-scenes tensions over the inclusion of their royal titles, according to sources close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
According to The Guardian, the Sussexes were informed that "technical issues" were the cause of the delay, despite the standard turnaround time for a British passport being approximately three weeks. The couple reportedly escalated their efforts by reapplying through the UK's expedited 24-hour service, only to have a required appointment abruptly canceled.
"There was clear reluctance to issue passports for the kids," a source close to the family told The Guardian. The report claims that British officials were "dragging their feet" over the applications because they included the styling of His and Her Royal Highness (HRH), despite Harry and Meghan stepping back from royal duties in 2020.
A legal letter was later sent to the Home Office threatening a data subject access request, which The Guardian says could have exposed internal communications surrounding the delay. Days after the letter, the passports were reportedly issued.
Archie already held a passport under the name Mountbatten-Windsor, but the new documentation was intended to reflect the updated family name, Sussex, and include the HRH styling-titles that became a birthright after King Charles III ascended the throne. "The King hadn't wanted Archie and Lili to carry the titles, most of all the HRH," the source claimed, adding that the passport would represent "the first and perhaps the only legal proof of their names."
Frustrated by the delay, Harry allegedly considered changing the family surname to Spencer, after his late mother Princess Diana. He reportedly consulted his uncle, Earl Charles Spencer, though the idea was later dropped. A source cited by Fox News Digital denied reports that Earl Spencer dissuaded Harry from making the change, calling such accounts "wholly inaccurate."
Buckingham Palace strongly denied any involvement in the passport issue. When contacted by The Telegraph, a palace spokesperson responded, "No," when asked whether the palace had raised any objection to the children's HRH titles appearing on the passports.
Harry and Meghan's spokesperson declined to comment on the passport matter, stating, "We do not comment on private issues pertaining to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children."
While the couple relinquished use of their own HRH titles in 2020 as part of their departure from official royal duties, they later confirmed in 2023 that Archie and Lilibet would retain the HRH styling. A spokesperson for the Sussexes told Fox News Digital at the time, "The children's titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch. This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace."
People magazine previously reported that Archie and Lilibet's birth certificates list Mountbatten-Windsor as their surname. However, the family now uses Sussex in accordance with royal tradition, similar to how Harry was known as "Harry Wales" during his childhood.
Harry reportedly believes the HRH titles should remain intact so the children can choose their future roles. The Guardian quoted a source as saying, "Prince Harry wants to keep the HRH titles for his children so that when they grow older they can decide for themselves whether they want to become working royals, or stay out of public life."
However, the prospect of the children becoming working royals appears slim. As The Sunday Times reported on Prince William's birthday, "Under the next reign, roles for Archie and Lili as working royals are unlikely."
