When I first saw the headlines, I took it with a grain of salt: Over the weekend, The Mail on Sunday reported that Prince Harry spoke with his uncle, Charles Spencer, about the idea of dropping his royal last name of Mountbatten-Windsor in favor of using his late mother Princess Diana’s surname, Spencer, instead. But could it really be true? As with many royal things, the sources felt spotty, but as more and more publications picked up the news, the gravity of the Duke of Sussex even considering a move like that hit me: The state of royal relations between father and son (and William) must be bleaker than we ever thought.
Prince Harry Spoke to Princess Diana’s Brother About Changing His Last Name to Spencer & I’m Floored By the Prospect
It says more about the state of father/son relations than any interview could
Published Jun 2, 2025
•9:16pm
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After all, the move—which Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, is said to have talked Harry out of, according to the reports—would have also affected his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, who are currently sixth and seventh in line to the British throne. (For example, it would have changed Lilibet’s name from Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor to Lilibet Diana Spencer.) It also would have read like a royal mic drop and a permanent and symbolic severing of any remaining familial ties.
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Don’t get me wrong: We already know that the state of Harry’s relationship, specifically with his father King Charles, is practically non-existent in the wake of the Duke of Sussex’s battle for U.K.-based security, per his recent interview with the BBC. But the idea that he would adopt his mother’s last name feels like a blow that would remove all associations with the House of Windsor, not to mention chart a path that he couldn’t take back. (That said, to formally align his identity with Diana’s would not only carry a great deal of meaning for Harry, it would make sense given how similarly their life trajectories inside—but especially outside of—the royal sphere seem to align.)
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As for Charles Spencer’s role, reports state that the 9th Earl Spencer—who recently saw Harry during a rare visit to the U.K. to attend the funeral of his uncle, Robert Fellowes, last year—talked him out of it and told Harry that the legal challenges to a decision like that would be “insurmountable.” (Both William and Harry are notably close with Diana’s brother.)
Of course, this isn’t the only name change drama that’s cropped up for the Sussexes as of late. When Meghan Markle’s recent Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, first debuted, much was made about her revelation to actress Mindy Kaling about changing her last name to Sussex—a move that solidified her family’s collective identity, even if it wasn’t formalized. “I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me,” she shared.
To be clear, based on reports, it sounds like Harry was just putting feelers out. (It’s also good to know he has someone like Charles Spencer to lean on in times like this.) But a move like that would be major—and, sadly, speaks volumes about where things currently stand.
