Diana’s Name for Archie? How Close It GOT

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle nearly abandoned their Sussex surname for Princess Diana’s family name after months of passport delays for their children prompted suspicions of royal interference.

At a Glance 

  • Harry and Meghan considered adopting the Spencer surname due to prolonged passport delays for Archie and Lilibet
  • The couple suspected King Charles was blocking the passport applications over concerns about their royal titles
  • Harry sought and received support from his uncle Earl Spencer for the potential name change
  • The passports were ultimately approved after the Sussexes’ legal team threatened to file a data subject access request
  • The children retained their Mountbatten-Windsor surnames, though the family uses Sussex publicly

Royal Passport Standoff Pushes Harry Toward Diana’s Legacy

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reached a point of “sheer exasperation” during a six-month struggle to obtain British passports for their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The prolonged delays led the couple to consider abandoning their Sussex surname in favor of Spencer, the maiden name of Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana. This dramatic potential shift came as the Sussexes faced what they perceived as deliberate obstruction from the royal establishment. 

Sources close to the couple revealed that Harry approached his uncle, Earl Spencer, about the potential name change. The Earl was reportedly “enthusiastic and supportive” of the idea, which would have cemented a direct connection to Diana’s lineage. The passport applications listed the children’s surnames as Sussex rather than Mountbatten-Windsor, which further complicated the already tense situation between the California-based couple and Buckingham Palace. 

Title Disputes Behind Royal Bureaucracy

At the heart of the conflict was concern over the children’s royal titles. Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death, Archie and Lilibet became entitled to be known as Prince and Princess, and are listed as sixth and seventh in line to the throne on the royal family website. However, when the Sussexes stepped back from royal duties in 2020, Buckingham Palace stated: “The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the royal family.”

“The British passports, once created, would be the first and perhaps the only legal proof of their name,” a source explained regarding King Charles’ alleged concerns. “There was clear reluctance to issue passports for the kids.” 

Palace officials denied the king’s involvement in the passport delay, attributing the issues to “technical” problems. When the Sussexes attempted to expedite the process through a fast-track service, that application was reportedly canceled due to a “systems failure.” This pattern of delays reinforced the couple’s suspicion that the monarchy was deliberately blocking their children’s documentation. 

Legal Pressure Resolves Standoff

The situation reached a breaking point when Harry and Meghan’s legal team prepared to file a data subject access request, which would have compelled the relevant authorities to disclose all information related to the passport applications. “Out of sheer exasperation he went to his uncle to effectively say, ‘My family are supposed to have the same name and they’re stopping that from happening because the kids are legally HRH, so if push comes to shove, if this blows up and they won’t let the kids be called Sussex, then can we use Spencer as a surname?'” a source revealed.  

Shortly after the legal threat, the passport issues were suddenly resolved. The passports were granted with the children’s proper titles, making the Spencer surname switch unnecessary. The situation highlights ongoing tensions between the Sussexes and the royal family, coming on the heels of Harry’s recent loss in a legal challenge against the Home Office regarding UK security arrangements. Buckingham Palace has not responded to requests for comment on the passport controversy.

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