Harry and Meghan are officially using Sussex as the surname for their children Archie and Lilibet. Photo / Getty Images
Harry and Meghan are officially using Sussex as the surname for their children Archie and Lilibet. Photo / Getty Images
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now using “Sussex” as the official surname for their children, it has emerged.
The children were known as Mountbatten-Windsor at birth but received the titles Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex when their paternal grandfather became King.
Since the titles were publicly confirmed at the time of the King’s coronation in May 2023, they have been known as Archie Sussex and Lilibet Sussex within the family, The Telegraph understands.
Archie and Lilibet are entitled to prince and princess titles now that their grandfather is the King. Photo / Twitter
It follows the same pattern used by the family for Prince Harry as a child, who used Wales as his surname at school and was later known as Captain Wales when he was part of the British Army.
Their foundation, Archewell, was named for their eldest son, Archie. They are now said to want to include Lilibet, too.
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.”
The Sussex.com website was launched this week, ahead of the couple’s trip to Canada for an Invictus Games event.
It has already attracted criticism for using an old version of the duchess’ coat of arms above a description of “The Office of Prince Harry & Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex”.
Harry and Meghan's new website includes a coat of arms logo.
They have been accused by critics of attempting to reassert their royal status by using the distinctive emblem, ahead of commercial deals including a new podcast contract for the duchess.
A source close to the Sussexes has since claimed the coat of arms is “not a problem” for the royal family.
The site does not specifically mention the royal family in the pair’s biographies, which total nearly 1000 words.
It describes the duke as a “humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate and environmental campaigner” and the duchess as a “feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity” as well as “one of the most influential women in the world”.
One source suggested that Buckingham Palace and Lord Chamberlain’s Office, responsible for such protocol, would at one time have clamped down firmly on the use of the coat of arms but must now remain silent for fear of appearing “vindictive”.
“Their hands are tied,” said a second source.
The previous version of the website was also mired in a row, as the couple’s decision to use the label “Sussex Royal” was regarded by the late Queen and senior officials to be no longer appropriate after they moved to the US.
The duke and duchess launched their Sussex Royal website after announcing they were stepping back from the monarchy as working royals. They also made applications to trademark the Sussex Royal brand for a wide array of products.
The royal family name of Windsor was confirmed by Queen Elizabeth II after her accession in 1952.
But in 1960, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh elected for their direct descendants to carry the name Mountbatten-Windsor. This meant that, when the Queen’s children needed to declare a surname, it would be Mountbatten-Windsor.
Mountbatten-Windsor first appeared on an official document on November 14, 1973, on the marriage of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips.
Given that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children now use Sussex as their surname, it marks an end to the royal family’s use of Mountbatten-Windsor.
However, when the Prince of Wales becomes king, he will continue to be of the House of Windsor and his grandchildren will use the surname.
