Meghan and Harry’s decision for Archie and Lilibet that ended royal tradition

Harry and Meghan ended a 64-year royal tradition with the decision

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to use the second name Sussex for themselves and their children, they ended a 64 year royal tradition. Archie and Lilibet were previously known as Mountbatten-Windsors – but are now identified by the Sussex surname.

Last year, Meghan and Harry revamped their website, sussex.com revealing their new second name. Their new website replaced the former Archwell site. Established in 1960 under the guidance of the Privy Counsel – Queen Elizabeth II’s officials – the Mountbatten-Windsor surname was adopted by all male-line descendants of Her Majesty and Prince Philip.

Explaining the change, an insider revealed to 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.”

Earlier this year, Meghan confirmed that the family are using the Sussex surname in their everyday lives. Wanting to still keep an element of the royal tradition, the couple decided to turn their title into a family name for everyday use.

In an interview with PEOPLE magazine, Meghan expressed how much the surname means to her as she described it as part of her and Harry’s ‘love story’.

She said: “It’s our shared name as a family, and I guess I hadn’t recognised how meaningful that would be to me until we had children. I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me.”

Prince William and Kate also decided to do the same when their children started school. Therefore, George, Charlotte and Louis all use the surname Cambridge in everyday life – which was their former titles before Queen Elizabeth II passed away.

Additionally, King Charles III and former wife Diana were seen to make the same choice as William and Harry used the surname Wales during their time at school and in the Army and RAF.

Although Archie, six, and four year old Lilibet were not initially granted prince/princess or HRH titles at birth, this changed when their grandfather, King Charles III acceded to the throne in September 2022.

The decision to bestow the titles of Prince and Princess on the young royals was officially announced in March last year to coincide with Lilibet’s christening.

In her recent Netflix series, Meghan discussed her surname, Sussex, with actress Mindy Kaling. During a conversation about fast food in the second episode, Mindy remarked: “People wouldn’t believe that Meghan Markle ate at Jack in the Box.”

Meghan quickly responded: “It’s so funny, too, that you keep saying Meghan Markle. You know I’m Sussex now. You have kids, and you go, ‘no I share my name with my children’…I didn’t know how meaningful it would be to me, but it just means so much to go ‘this is our family name, our little family name’.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex no longer utilise their HRH titles for business endeavours, but they retain the right to use the titles bestowed upon them at their wedding, despite having stepped back from their royal duties.

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