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Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Lifestyle
Iris Goldsztajn

Harry and Meghan break long-standing royal tradition by changing Archie and Lilibet's names

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the 2024 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre on July 11, 2024 in Hollywood, California.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made a big decision when it comes to their children's names.

Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, will still be known as such, but eagle-eyed royal fans have noticed one rather significant detail concerning the two kids on their parents' revamped website, sussex.com.

Indeed, we learned from the site that Archie and Lili have been using the surname Sussex since King Charles' Coronation, where they were previously known as Mountbatten-Windsor, as reported by the Mirror.

The news has come as a shock to some, as these new names mean they're now breaking a 64-year-old royal tradition established in 1960, which stated that male descendants of Queen Elizabeth II would be known by the name Mountbatten-Windsor.

But since Harry and Meghan became the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, they are known by those names rather than by the double-barrelled moniker, meaning that their little ones now bear the same name as their parents.

"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," a source told The Times about the move (via the Mirror). "That's a big deal for any family. It represents their unification and it's a proud moment."

Harry and Meghan are making loads of changes in their lives of late, especially when it comes to their work. For example, The Duchess recently partnered with Lemonada Media on creating an upcoming podcast as a continuation of Spotify's Archetypes. She has also signed on with a Hollywood talent agent, and created a consumer brand named American Riviera Orchard.

Meanwhile, the Duke was just awarded the prestigious Pat Tillman Award for Service at the ESPY Awards.

Together, Harry and Meghan are also adapting the novel Meet Me at the Lake into film, among many other exciting endeavours.

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