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UK News

Prince Harry wanted to change last name to 'Spencer' in honor of Princess Diana, after rift from royal family

The Duke of Sussex wanted to take his late mother's surname. What stopped him?

Prince Harry wanted to change last name to 'Spencer'.
Prince Harry wanted to change last name to 'Spencer'.AP

Since announcing they would no longer be part of the Royal Family in 2020, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have maintained strained ties with the rest of the family.

The ties between them had been frayed for some time, and this week new evidence of this has come to light. As revealed by Daily Mail, a source has claimed that Prince Harry wanted to change his surname to the one his late mother, Princess Diana, had before marrying King Charles: "Spencer".

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Willing to drop "Mountbatten-Windsor" from his name, a surname carried by the descendants of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Sussex consulted with his uncle.

Diana's younger brother, Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, spoke with Harry during a visit to the United Kingdom. However, to his nephew's concern, Earl Spencer let him know that it would not be easy because of legal hurdles.

"They had a very friendly conversation and Spencer advised him not to take that step," said the Daily Mail source.

Harry Spencer

The change of surname, would not only affect Harry, but also their children, who on their birth certificates, are listed as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. The children changed their titles to prince and princess after the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the consequent ascension to the throne of their grandfather Charles III.

In addition, Meghan Markle has pointed out on several occasions that the family name is "Sussex".

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