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Prince Harry 'wanted to change Archie and Lilibet's surname' after royal passport rowThe Duke of Sussex was reportedly left furious after the King and British officials caused "repeated

delays" in issuing his children's passports, leading to a name change.CommentsEntertainmentTasha Hall Showbiz and Trends Reporter and Sophia Papamavroudi14:46, 05 Jun 2025Prince Harry is no

longer speaking to his father(Image: undefined via Getty Images) Prince Harry allegedly considered changing his family name to Spencer following "repeated delays by British officials" in

issuing passports for his children, Archie and Lilibet. The Duke of Sussex had reportedly "discussed the issue" with his late mother’s brother, Earl Spencer.

He allegedly "actively explored ways" to make the switch while in the UK, but it is said that "the legal hurdles were insurmountable". The claims have been rejected as "completely untrue" by

sources close to the Sussexes, sparking debate among commentators who believe such a move could worsen tensions within the Royal Family.

‌ A new revelation by The Guardian attributes Harry's consideration to change names to "sheer exasperation", after a six-month delay in processing the passport applications for his children.

‌ The Sussexes' lawyers purportedly wrote a letter threatening legal action through a data subject access request due to the wait, reports the Express.

Speculation arises from a source claiming that the cause of delay might be linked to the HRH titles for Archie and Lilibet. Until 2023, it is known that Archie held passports from both the

US and UK under the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, whereas documentation listed 'Sussex' as the surname in recent times.

Prince Harry and Meghan with their two kids - Archie and Lilibet.Article continues below King Charles typically does not require a family name, but when necessary, he adopts the surname

Mountbatten-Windsor; the royal nomenclature unifies the House of Windsor with Prince Philip's chosen surname.

All descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are entitled to use this surname, bridging the family heritage. According to The Guardian, a source disclosed: "There was clear

reluctance to issue passports for the kids."

Despite an expected turnaround period of three weeks for passport issuance, delays of up to three months were reportedly encountered by Harry and Meghan in obtaining passports for their

children due to "technical issues".

‌ An attempt to expedite the process through the 24-hour service was allegedly thwarted by a "systems failure". Additional insight from the same source indicated King Charles' reservations

concerning Archie and Lilibet using royal titles and British passports, as those documents would officially establish their surnames.

Bucking Palace refuted claims of any involvement by the King or Royal aides in the alleged passport delays, as reported by The Telegraph.

‌ When probed about interference with the HRH titling on the passports, a palace spokesman firmly stated: "No." The informer also suggested there had been a concerted effort to "blocked with

a string of excuses over the course of five months" the Sussex children's passports, citing numerous pretexts over five months.

The source stated, "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?'".

More on Prince HarryBuckingham Palace breaks silenceHarry says King 'won't speak' to himPrince Harry loses legal battleKing Charles and Prince William united‌ It is understood from reports

that Harry is keen on preserving the HRH titles for Archie and Lilibet to allow them to choose whether to adopt the honorifics when they grow up.

When approached, both the Home Office and Buckingham Palace refused to make any statements regarding The Guardian's revelations.

A representative for Prince Harry commented: "We do not comment on private issues pertaining to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children."

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