The Duke of Sussex shed his formal title when competing in a polo competition in the swanky ski resort of Aspen
Prince Harry rides during a break in action at the St Regis World Snow Polo Championships last week(Image: Greg Doherty/Getty Images for St. Regis)
Prince Harry has seemingly changed his name just months after Meghan Markle insisted she was a ‘Sussex’. The King’s younger son was competing in the St Regis Snow Polo Championship in Aspen last week.
Insiders have suggested he was introduced as ‘Harry Wales’ with no mention of his royal title, the Duke of Sussex. Harry was born Prince Henry of Wales in 1984 but was given the Duke of Sussex title by his gran, the late Queen Elizabeth, when he married Meghan in 2018.
However, it seems he was looking to keep a low profile at the star-studded event in Colorado, which he attended with his pal Nacho Figueras. A source told Page Six: “Harry was introduced as Harry Wales, with no royal title mentioned ever or anywhere.
“He was there to play polo with his best friend Nacho. No titles, just fun.” The source said security at the event, which attracted the likes of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, was tight with photographers not allowed anywhere near the prince.
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Harry and Meghan have used the surname ‘Sussex’ even after they quit royal life in 2020. Earlier this year, Meghan made a point of making sure she was referred to as Meghan Sussex in an awkward interaction with her friend Mindy Kaling on her Netflix show, ‘With Love, Meghan’.
After Kaling had called her ‘Meghan Markle’, the Duchess interjected, saying she was “Sussex now”. She said it was important to share her last name with their children, Archie and Lilibet, adding: “It just means so much to go, ‘This is our family name, our little family name.’”
Meghan and Mindy discuss the Duchess’s name(Image: (Image: NETFLIX))
However, the children were both called ‘Mountbatten-Windsor’ on their birth certificates, as was Harry, whose name at birth was Henry Charles Albert David Mountbatten-Windsor. Harry used the Wales surname while serving in the military, using his father’s territorial designation as a last name, as did William during his service.
Royal commentator Tom Sykes believes the fact he has gone by the name ‘Wales’ will be “interpreted in some quarters as a statement of domestic rebellion and personal independence,” after the fuss Meghan made over her name.
Alternatively, he may have been preparing for when his brother ascends to the throne. William is widely expected to strip Harry and Meghan of their royal titles when he becomes king.
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