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Privacy NoticeYou might be surprised to learn that Prince Harry’s real name isn’t actually Harry. His birth name is quite different and not widely known by the public – he’s even joked about the confusion. The Duke of Sussex’s full name is in fact, Prince Henry Charles Albert David, which is quite a mouthful compared to the nickname of Harry we all use. And interestingly, he doesn’t have a last name as such. He goes by either Sussex or Mountbatten-Windsor. Although we’ve always known him as Harry, in his official documents and during formal events, his birth name Henry is used. For instance, when Kensington Palace announced his engagement, they referred to him as “His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales” in the notice that revealed the royal “and Ms. Meghan Markle Are Engaged to Be Married”.

Harry, The Duke of Sussex has a lengthy name that not many people know about
(Image: Getty Images for Invictus Games)

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Even Prince Harry himself has had a laugh about his name confusion. At the WellChild Awards, he engaged in a bit of banter and said: “My name is Henry, but everyone calls me Harry. I have no idea.” He was responding to a little boy named Henry who was curious about the name choice, reports the Mirror. The reason why we call him Harry instead of Henry remains somewhat of an enigma. But Metro explains that the name Henry comes from the Old French Henri. During medieval times, the English started using Harry as a common nickname for Henry, which even applied to kings like Henry VIII. While Harry sustains numerous titles and uses them as needed.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle surprisingly hold different names
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According to the Telegraph, during his military service, he was recognised as Captain Harry Wales, owing to Charles’s status as the Prince of Wales at the time. But, if required, “Mountbatten-Windsor” is another option, as declared by the Queen for any Royal Family member in need of a last name. Interestingly, Meghan Markle has more in her name than what we know. Her actual name is Rachel Meghan Markle, with Rachel being the same first name as her breakthrough character on Suits. Nevertheless, Meghan prefers her middle name professionally, which is now globally accepted.

Meghan also holds a different name to what we know
(Image: Getty Images)

Post Archie’s birth in 2019, the birth certificate registered Harry, officially known as “His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex”, and Meghan as “Rachel Meghan Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex. However, a shift was noticeable a month after Archie’s birth when “Rachel Meghan” was omitted from the Duchess title, referring only to “Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex.” Recently, an insider shared with The Times that Meghan and Harry designated Sussex as the official surname for their family of four to create unity.Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnMeghan MarklePrince Harry

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Last Update: October 16, 2024