Advertisement

What's Prince Harry's Last Name, Anyway?

Prince Harry, who is set to marry Meghan Markle on May 19, is so widely known he needs no last name to be recognized. But have you ever wondered what his surname is?

Turns out it’s a bit complicated. For starters, British royals don’t typically use last names and often include their territorial designation in their title instead; for instance, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.

“A British royal signs only his or her first name,” royal historian Marlene Koenig, who runs the website Royal Musings, told HuffPost. “They don’t use last names because they are ‘of’ something. They are prince or princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but are styled as ‘of Wales,’ ‘of York,’ ‘of Cambridge,’ etc.”

Prince Harry's full title is His Royal Highness Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales. And, no, Wales is not his last name. (Photo: Paul Harding/PA Images via Getty Images)
Prince Harry's full title is His Royal Highness Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales. And, no, Wales is not his last name. (Photo: Paul Harding/PA Images via Getty Images)

When Harry was baptized in 1984, he was given the name Henry Charles Albert David, making his full title “His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales” because his father, Charles, is the prince of Wales.

But if he needed to use a surname for one reason or another, he could use Mountbatten-Windsor. That’s the name Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip decided upon for their direct descendants back in 1960. Philip, formerly a prince of Greece and Denmark, adopted the last name Mountbatten when he became a naturalized British citizen ahead of his wedding to Elizabeth in 1947; as for Windsor, Elizabeth’s grandfather King George V declared that to be the family and house name in 1917. (Prior to that, the British royal family did not have a formal surname; rather, they used their house or dynasty name).

According to Koenig, the hyphenated surname was created for male-line descendants of the queen who do not bear the HRH prince or princess title. That’s why most of the royals you’re familiar with rarely, if ever, use it.

Some royals opt to use their territorial designation as their last name instead, as both William and Harry did when they served in the military; at that time, they went by William Wales and Harry Wales.

Prince William and Prince Harry on June 18, 2009, in Shawbury, England. (Photo: Anwar Hussein via Getty Images)
Prince William and Prince Harry on June 18, 2009, in Shawbury, England. (Photo: Anwar Hussein via Getty Images)

After Harry and Meghan Markle marry, it is unclear exactly what their new titles will be ― though people speculate that they could be named the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

“Harry will always be a prince, that does not change, but how he is styled will change — most likely he will receive a peerage, which means he will be HRH the Duke of Something and his wife will be HRH the Duchess of Something,” Koenig told HuffPost. “However, Meghan will have the status of a princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland because her husband is a prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.”

Now, we’ll just have to wait a couple more weeks to find out for certain.

This story has been updated to include more details about the royal family’s last name prior to 1917.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

Related Coverage

Will Prince Harry Wear A Wedding Ring After He Marries Meghan Markle?

This Is What Queen Elizabeth And Prince Philip's Wedding Looked Like

Meghan Markle's Father, Who Has Never Met Prince Harry, Will Walk Her Down The Aisle

Also on HuffPost

August 2006

At the Coach Legacy Photo Exhibit by Reed Krakoff at Coach in East Hampton, New York.
At the Coach Legacy Photo Exhibit by Reed Krakoff at Coach in East Hampton, New York.

October 2006

On "Deal or No Deal."
On "Deal or No Deal."

November 2006

At the George Lopez/Great Chefs of LA Event For The National Kidney Foundation at the Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey in Marina del Rey, California.
At the George Lopez/Great Chefs of LA Event For The National Kidney Foundation at the Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey in Marina del Rey, California.

January 2007

At ABS/Allen Schwartz during Primary Action 2007 Golden Globe Suites in Los Angeles.
At ABS/Allen Schwartz during Primary Action 2007 Golden Globe Suites in Los Angeles.

August 2010

At the Some Kind-a Gorgeous Style and Beauty Lounge at the Chateau Marmont in LA.
At the Some Kind-a Gorgeous Style and Beauty Lounge at the Chateau Marmont in LA.

October 2011

At the Anti-Defamation League Entertainment Industry Awards dinner held at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
At the Anti-Defamation League Entertainment Industry Awards dinner held at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

January 2012

At the 13th Annual Warner Bros. and InStyle Golden Globe After Party held at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
At the 13th Annual Warner Bros. and InStyle Golden Globe After Party held at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

February 2012

At USA Network's and The Moth's Storytelling Tour "A More Perfect Union: Stories of Prejudice and Power" at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California.
At USA Network's and The Moth's Storytelling Tour "A More Perfect Union: Stories of Prejudice and Power" at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California.

June 2012

At USA Network and Mr Porter.com Present "A Suits Story" in New York.
At USA Network and Mr Porter.com Present "A Suits Story" in New York.

November 2012

At TV Guide Magazine's 2012 Hot List Party at SkyBar at the Mondrian Los Angeles.
At TV Guide Magazine's 2012 Hot List Party at SkyBar at the Mondrian Los Angeles.

January 2013

At The Paley Center for Media's presentation of An Evening With "Suits" in Beverly Hills, California.
At The Paley Center for Media's presentation of An Evening With "Suits" in Beverly Hills, California.

January 2013

At the Entertainment Weekly Screen Actors Guild Awards pre-party at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles.
At the Entertainment Weekly Screen Actors Guild Awards pre-party at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles.

May 2013

At USA Network's 2013 Upfront Event at Pier 36 in New York.
At USA Network's 2013 Upfront Event at Pier 36 in New York.

June 2013

At the 2013 MuchMusic Video Awards at MuchMusic HQ in Toronto.
At the 2013 MuchMusic Video Awards at MuchMusic HQ in Toronto.

September 2013

At the 2013 Novak Djokovic Benefit Dinner at Capitale in New York.
At the 2013 Novak Djokovic Benefit Dinner at Capitale in New York.

September 2013

At the Tracy Reese show during Spring 2014 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at The Studio at Lincoln Center in New York.
At the Tracy Reese show during Spring 2014 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at The Studio at Lincoln Center in New York.

October 2013

At the Gala Tribute to Cate Blanchett during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center.
At the Gala Tribute to Cate Blanchett during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center.

November 2013

At the U.K. Premiere of "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" at Odeon Leicester Square in London.
At the U.K. Premiere of "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" at Odeon Leicester Square in London.

January 2014

At the ELLE Women in Television celebration at Sunset Tower in West Hollywood, California.
At the ELLE Women in Television celebration at Sunset Tower in West Hollywood, California.

February 2014

At the Marc Jacobs Daisy Chain Tweet Pop Up Shop Party in New York.
At the Marc Jacobs Daisy Chain Tweet Pop Up Shop Party in New York.

February 2014

At Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York.
At Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York.

September 2014

At the Peter Som show during MADE Fashion Week Spring 2015 at Milk Studios in New York.
At the Peter Som show during MADE Fashion Week Spring 2015 at Milk Studios in New York.

October 2014

At the Elton John AIDS Foundation's 13th Annual An Enduring Vision Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street in New York.
At the Elton John AIDS Foundation's 13th Annual An Enduring Vision Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street in New York.

March 2015

At World MasterCard Fashion Week at David Pecaut Square in Toronto.
At World MasterCard Fashion Week at David Pecaut Square in Toronto.

May 2015

At the 2015 NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Upfront at the Javits Center in New York.
At the 2015 NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Upfront at the Javits Center in New York.

June 2015

At NBC's 2015 New York Summer Press Day at the Four Seasons Hotel New York.
At NBC's 2015 New York Summer Press Day at the Four Seasons Hotel New York.

November 2015

At the 12th annual CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards at Spring Studios in New York.
At the 12th annual CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards at Spring Studios in New York.

January 2016

At ELLE's 6th Annual Women in Television Dinner at Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, California.
At ELLE's 6th Annual Women in Television Dinner at Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, California.

March 2016

At AOL Build Presents "Suits" at AOL Studios in New York.
At AOL Build Presents "Suits" at AOL Studios in New York.

March 2016

Outside the "Today" show in New York.
Outside the "Today" show in New York.

March 2016

Outside the "Today" show in New York.
Outside the "Today" show in New York.

June 2016

At the Luminato Big Bang Bash 2016 held at the Hearn Generating Station in Toronto.
At the Luminato Big Bang Bash 2016 held at the Hearn Generating Station in Toronto.

July 2016

Entering a "Today" show taping at NBC Rockefeller Center Studios in New York.
Entering a "Today" show taping at NBC Rockefeller Center Studios in New York.

September 2017

At the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games Toronto 2017 at the Air Canada Centre.
At the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games Toronto 2017 at the Air Canada Centre.

September 2017

With Prince Harry at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto.
With Prince Harry at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.