Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Allegedly Changed Kids' Surname To Sussex
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry allegedly made another bold move after launching their new website.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly adopted their royal title "Sussex" as their children Archie and Lilibet's surname. The move was allegedly to "unify" their family, and the kids have been known as Archie Sussex and Lilibet Sussex since King Charles' coronation last May, a source told The Times.
Prince Harry and Markle's children's names were originally Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor during a photocall in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle on May 8, 2019 in Windsor, England. The Duchess of Sussex gave birth at 05:26 on Monday 06 May, 2019.
Unnamed insiders claimed that the royal couple wanted to unite their projects and their two children under the same overall website. The move was reportedly a bid to keep the way Prince Harry was known as Captain Wales when he was in the army.
"The reality behind the new site is very simple -- it's a hub for the work the Sussexes do, and it reflects the fact the family have, since the King's coronation, the same surname for the first time. That's a big deal for any family. It represents their unification, and it's a proud moment," one source told the outlet.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a children's event at the 2023 Invictus Games in Duesseldorf, western Germany on September 13, 2023.
Michael Cole, a former BBC TV journalist and royal correspondent, weighed in on the Sussexes' move. For him, the use of "Sussex" as a surname was not right.
"In fact, it's not correct to say that Sussex is their surname. Sussex is two rather lovely counties in this country, West Sussex and East Sussex. But Prince Harry's birth name was Mountbatten Windsor," Cole said on GB News.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa.
"That's the family name of the Royal Family of this country. It's the House of Windsor, but the actual name the children are born into is Mountbatten Windsor."
The change of surname comes amid a major rebrand where Prince Harry and Markle used "Sussex" as a domain name for their new website. The move received mixed responses, with some expressing excitement while others mocked them for allegedly accepting defeat. One critic claimed their efforts after quitting their royal duties didn't work, so they were returning to their roots by using their royal title.
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor at a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Meanwhile, other insiders claimed they "betrayed" the Queen by doing so. The Sussexes reportedly assured the late monarch that they would not use their royal titles for commercial gain in their bid to be financially independent of the firm.
