Prince Harry has decided to take a step forward and confess something unprecedented about his son, Prince Archie: he considered changing his last name. Specifically, Meghan's husband seriously considered adding the surname Spencer, his mother Lady Di's family name, to his two children. This decision would have caused a considerable rift with the British royal family and a total and definitive break.
The reason for this consideration is due to bureaucratic issues related to Prince Archie and Lilibet's passports. The idea was to adopt the name Spencer as a reaction to unexpected delays in the official issuance of the documents. According to sources cited by the British press, Harry considered this possibility during a conversation with his uncle Charles Spencer.
Prince Harry reveals his plans with Prince Archie
Since Prince Harry decided to break definitively with the British royal family, every step has been aimed at destroying its institutional image. The Duke of Sussex has given interviews and made documentaries where his family is not portrayed in a positive light. Now, a new plan of Harry's has come to light, with his son, Prince Archie, as the protagonist.
As has been reported, Prince Harry has said "enough" and confessed his intentions to change his firstborn's surname. Instead of Archie carrying those of the British royal family, the Duke of Sussex has considered giving him the last name Spencer. The title that honors his maternal family, Lady Di's family.
The idea of adopting the last name Spencer arose as an alternative in the face of bureaucracy and problems obtaining the necessary documentation for their travels. The trigger was the six-month wait the family faced to obtain documents that normally arrive in just three weeks, generating understandable frustration. That's why Prince Harry said "enough" and considered taking this drastic and controversial measure.
Harry already suspected that including royal titles alongside the surname Sussex had slowed down the process, fueling his perception of unequal treatment from the palace. The change of last name would not only have affected the children's identity. It also would have had significant implications for their position in the line of succession to the British throne.
Prince Harry was about to change Prince Archie's future
The tension between Prince Harry and the British royal family has intensified in recent years. The decision to give up his royal duties and move to the United States was a significant step that marked a turning point. It also affected Prince Archie and his sister Lilibet.
Both young children have gone years without seeing their paternal family, and this situation doesn't seem close to being solved. Especially after learning that Harry was very close to changing his children's future with a simple change of last names.
Adopting Spencer means rejecting Mountbatten‑Windsor, a last name created to unite the royal lineages and that of Philip of Edinburgh. This, undoubtedly, affects the line of succession, leaving Prince Archie out of it.
Not to mention that the rift with the British royal family would become much greater and more difficult to mend. The proposal never materialized, but its consideration reflects the depth of the tensions that persist after the Sussexes' departure from royalty. If it had gone ahead, the decision would have been interpreted as a direct challenge to Charles III's authority and to the British system of titles itself.
Abandoning the paternal last name would have represented a symbol of independence, but also of uprooting. Even without being carried out, the proposal made clear the power that symbols possess within the monarchy, where every choice communicates loyalty or rebellion.