Prince Harry has dropped his royal surname after committing to LA life

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made news earlier this year as they stepped down from their roles as ‘senior’ members of the royal family, hoping to become financially independent.

It was then announced by Buckingham Palace that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be losing their HRH titles following a new deal, and repaying ‘Sovereign Grant expenditure for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage’.

The royal couple relocated to Canada and have since moved on to California, spending time as a family with their baby Archie.

While the couple will retain their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, they have lost their royal status and the right to use their current brand name, Sussex Royal.

There are rumours that the couple are trying to be more relatable, with the 35-year-old prince telling a crowd earlier this year, ‘just call me Harry’.

This week, there has been further speculation around names as Harry appears to have dropped his royal surname, Mountbatten-Windsor.

While filling in documents to register his new foundation, Archewell, Harry dropped his family name and instead listed himself as ‘Prince Henry Charles Albert David, Duke of Sussex’.

This name was also used when setting up the eco tourism firm, Travalyst.

Well, that’s that.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.