Meghan and Harry's surname for Archie and Lilibet sparked historical royal row

27 July 2023 , 11:30

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Meghan and Harry's surname for Archie and Lilibet sparked historical royal row

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's children Archie and Lilibet will not have HRH titles after their parents lost theirs when they stepped away from royal life.

This means the Sussex kids carry the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, which is used by all members of the royal family who don't have an official title. The name has been used for decades now, and having a normal surname rather than an HRH could allow the Sussex children to have a much more 'normal' life when it's time for them to go out to work.

However the name caused a huge row when it was first introduced back in 1973.

Harry and Meghan share son Archie and daughter Lilibet (alexilubomirski/Instagram)

Before marrying the Queen Philip was Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. However this wasn't neutral enough so he adopted the name Mountbatten after his grandparents.

When the then Princess Elizabeth have birth to Charles, he assumed they would take on his name in the traditional way. But Prime Minister Winston Churchill didn't agree, and wanted them to continue to use the name Windsor, which was the official Royal Family surname.

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Prince Edward was extremely annoyed by the initial decision (Popperfoto)

The Queen's grandmother Queen Mary agreed, and it caused such a row that the matter was even discussed in Parliament. In the end the Queen made the decision to go with her family's views, and the name Windsor was used.

At the time, Philip reportedly said: "I am nothing but a bloody amoeba. I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his own children."

The Queen and Prince Philip with their children, Charles, Anne, Edward and Andrew in 1965 (Hulton Royals Collection)

Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith even went as far as to suggest that the upset over the name was the reason for the 10 year age gap between Princess Anne and Prince Edward. However when the couple fell pregnant with their third child Elizabeth was sitting on the throne, which changed things slightly.

Philip reportedly refused to drop the issue, and in 1960 she went to see the Harold Macmillan, who had then taken over as PM. She said "she absolutely needed to revisit" the issue and admitted it "had been irritating her husband since 1952".

Finally a comprise was met, and on February 8, 1960 - 11 days before Prince Andrew was born - the Queen declared that she had adopted the name Mountbatten-Windsor. She announced that it would be used by all her descendants who do not enjoy the title of His or Her Royal Highness.

Zoe Forsey