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<\/p>\nPrince Harry is said to have sought advice from Princess Diana\u2019s brother about changing his family name to Spencer. <\/p>\n
The Duke of Sussex, 40, is claimed to have actively explored ways to assume his mother\u2019s surname, which would have involved losing Mountbatten-Windsor, used by his children.<\/p>\n
He is alleged to have discussed the issue with Earl Spencer, whose family seat is Althorp in Northamptonshire, during a rare visit to Britain.<\/p>\n
However, sources told The Mail on Sunday that he was informed the legal hurdles to change his surname would be insurmountable.<\/p>\n
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Spencer is said to have discussed the possibility of changing Harry\u2019s surname<\/p>\n
ALAMY<\/p>\n
A friend of Harry said: \u201cThey had a very amicable conversation and Spencer advised him against taking such a step.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mountbatten-Windsor is available to descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, which combines the royal Windsor name with the Duke of Edinburgh\u2019s adopted surname.<\/p>\n
On their birth certificates, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex\u2019s children are Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.<\/p>\n
Any change of name could further alienate Harry from his father, the King, who cherishes the Mountbatten name like his own father. <\/p>\n
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The duke was advised against attempting to make the change to Spencer<\/p>\n
MAX MUMBY\/INDIGO\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n
The 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, a mentor to Prince Philip, was a strong influence on his great-nephew Charles. <\/p>\n
Philip adopted the Mountbatten name when he became a naturalised British subject and renounced his Greek and Danish royal title in 1947. The Queen and Philip decided in 1960 that they would like their own direct descendants to be known as Mountbatten-Windsor.<\/p>\n
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were given their Sussex titles by Queen Elizabeth on their wedding day in 2018.<\/p>\n
Meghan recently claimed her surname was Sussex, correcting a guest on her Netflix cookery and lifestyle programme. During an episode of With Love, Meghan, released in March, the 43-year-old former actress was joined by the comic Mindy Kaling.<\/p>\n
Meghan told her: \u201cIt\u2019s so funny you keep saying \u2018Meghan Markle\u2019 \u2014 you know I\u2019m Sussex now<\/a>. I didn\u2019t know how meaningful it would be to me but it just means so much to go \u2018This is OUR family name. Our little family name\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n