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<\/p>\nHowever, the discussions became moot when the UK passports<\/a> for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet were finally issued almost six months after the initial applications. This breakthrough reportedly occurred just days after lawyers for the Sussexes sent a letter threatening to pursue a data subject access request, a move that could have exposed details of the delays and any behind-the-scenes discussions among British officials.<\/p>\n A report by The Guardian further indicated that the Duke and Duchess had feared UK officials were deliberately delaying the process because the passport applications included the titles HRH (His\/Her Royal Highness) for both children. The applications also used the surname Sussex, which the family had publicly adopted. Prior to 2023, Archie held US and British passports under the name Mountbatten-Windsor.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was clear reluctance to issue passports for the kids,\u201d as reported by The Guardian, highlighting the unusual nature of the prolonged wait. Standard passport applications typically take three weeks. After three months without receiving the documents due to \u201ctechnical issues,\u201d Harry and Meghan reportedly reapplied using the 24-hour passport service, only to have their meeting cancelled at the last minute due to a \u201csystems failure.\u201d<\/p>\n The report further alleged that \u201cthe king hadn\u2019t wanted Archie and Lili to carry the titles, most of all the HRH, and the British passports, once created, would be the first and perhaps the only legal proof of their names.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHarry was at a point where British passports for his children with their updated Sussex surnames (since the death of Queen Elizabeth II) were being blocked with a string of excuses over the course of five months,\u201d the source told The Guardian. \u201cOut of sheer exasperation he went to his uncle to effectively say: \u2018My family are supposed to have the same name and they\u2019re stopping that from happening because the kids are legally HRH, so if push comes to shove, if this blows up and they won\u2019t let the kids be called Sussex, then can we use Spencer as a surname?’\u201d<\/p>\n It is understood that Prince Harry desires to retain the HRH titles for his children, allowing them to decide later in life whether to become working royals or remain private citizens. Harry and Meghan relinquished the honorific in 2020 as part of the agreement with Queen Elizabeth II <\/a>when they stepped back from royal duties.<\/p>\n The couple is believed to be angered by a recent report in the Mail on Sunday, which claimed Earl Spencer had advised Harry against a name change, citing insurmountable legal hurdles. A source vehemently denied this, stating, \u201cIt\u2019s completely untrue.\u201d<\/p>\n