Prince Harry won't use the royal family's last name after dropping his HRH title
- Prince Harry is not currently using the royal family's last name after dropping his HRH title, a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex confirmed to Insider.
- The Daily Mail first reported that Harry had signed his name as Prince Henry Charles Albert David, Duke of Sussex on paperwork for Travalyst.
- The duke has never used the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, which is often used by royals who do not carry HRH titles. The paperwork shows he has not added it to his name after "Megxit."
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
The world has been speculating what to call the Duke of Sussex after he stopped using his HRH title and asked to be called "just Harry" at a sustainable tourism summit earlier this year.
This sparked reports that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could start using the royal family's last name, Mountbatten-Windsor, which is usually reserved for royals who do not carry the HRH title in their name.
The couple's son, Archie Harrison, was given this as a last name on his birth certificate.
However, the duke has subtly confirmed he hasn't taken the name when signing documents registering his new eco-friendly tourism firm Travalyst.
The documents, obtained by the Daily Mail, list the duke's full name as Prince Henry Charles Albert David, Duke of Sussex.
Before stepping down from the royal family, Harry signed his name as His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex, as was written on baby Archie's birth certificate in May 2019.
A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex confirmed the duke's name has been signed on the new Travalyst document to Insider. However, the spokesperson added that the only difference in this document to previous paperwork is that he has dropped the HRH title.
The duke has never used the name Mountbatten-Windsor to sign any previous paperwork.
It's a combination of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II's last names: "Mountbatten" from Philip's side, and "Windsor" from the official name of King George V's descendants.
"It was therefore declared in the Privy Council that The Queen's descendants, other than those with the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince/Princess, or female descendants who marry, would carry the name of Mountbatten-Windsor," a statement on the royal website says.
However, there is no guidance on the website as to what should happen for royals who were born with HRH titles but stopped using them.
Therefore, it seems that for now, the public should continue to refer to him as Harry, Duke of Sussex — or, as he requested himself, "just Harry."
Read more:
How etiquette and protocol differ for royal families across the world
5 royal couples who could fill Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's roles after 'Megxit'
Read the original article on Insider