Meghan and Harry’s children get new surname as couple abandon 64-year royal tradition

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle not only gave their new site a rebrand – but their children’s names have had a glossy make-over too.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have changed their kids’ names on their royal website – ending a 64-year–old royal naming tradition.

The couple hit headlines when they launched their new site sussex.com and fans saw little Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie’s names have had a makeover too. Instead of being known as Mountbatten-Windsors, Archie and Lilibet have taken the surname Sussex since the Coronation. The new look website was launched on Monday, replacing their old Archwell site.

The surname Mountbatten-Windsor was decreed by the Privy Counsel – the official advisors to the late Queen Elizabeth II – in 1960 and applied to male-line descendants of Her Majesty and Prince Philip. A source told The Times : “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.”

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Meghan and Harry’s children get new surname as couple abandon 64-year royal tradition
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle not only gave their new site a rebrand – but their children’s names have had a glossy make-over too.

Meghan and Harry with children Archie and Lillibet
Harry and Meghan, pictured in 2021, are parents to Archie, aged 4, and Lillibet, aged 2 (Image: EPN/Newscom / Avalon)
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BySarah Tetteh
00:01, 16 Jul 2024
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have changed their kids’ names on their royal website – ending a 64-year–old royal naming tradition.

The couple hit headlines when they launched their new site sussex.com and fans saw little Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie’s names have had a makeover too. Instead of being known as Mountbatten-Windsors, Archie and Lilibet have taken the surname Sussex since the Coronation. The new look website was launched on Monday, replacing their old Archwell site.

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The surname Mountbatten-Windsor was decreed by the Privy Counsel – the official advisors to the late Queen Elizabeth II – in 1960 and applied to male-line descendants of Her Majesty and Prince Philip. A source told The Times : “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.”

Meanwhile the decision to use their children’s royal titles on their new website has been branded as “surprising”. It has divided fan and sparked a royal row accusing them of boasting of their links to the Royal Family. The main homepage welcomes visitors to the site of “The Office of Prince Harry & Meghan, The Duke & Duchess of Sussex” and features a special coat of arms designed for Meghan. The site also has detailed bios for each of the couple.

Harry’s reads: “Prince Harry lives in California with his wife Meghan, and their two children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.” While Meghan’s says: “Meghan lives in California with her husband and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.” And according to a royal source, mentioning their children by referring to them as Prince and Princess has caused ‘surprise’.

Archie, five, and three-year-old Lilibet weren’t given prince/princess or HRH titles at birth as they were not at the time grandchildren of the monarch. When Charles became King in September 2022, Archie and Lilibet became the grandchildren of a Monarch which changed their status. It was then revealed last March, when Lilibet was christened, that the children would be given Prince and Princess titles.