Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are not the only royal children to be given new surnames - Prince George, Charlotte and Louis have already had three!
It's not all that unusual for royal kids to be known by various names throughout their lives
While royal fans and experts alike were surprised by Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet's change of surname, they are not the only royal children to be given new ones - their cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have already had three!
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's rebrand has caught a lot of attention from royal fans and experts alike. But one of the biggest changes they've made doesn't even concern the couple, but instead their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
As part of the rebrand, the two youngsters have dropped their surnames of Mountbatten-Windsor in favour of taking the titled surname given to their parents upon their marriage in 2018, which made Harry and Meghan the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Subsequently, their children will now be known as Prince Archie Sussex and Princess Lilibet Diana Sussex.
The move was a bit of a surprise, coming at a random time and for seemingly no poignant reason. But, it's not actually unusual for royal children to have their surnames changed to align with their parents titles. In fact, in changing their kids' surnames, Harry and Meghan are actually following a precedent set by Prince William and Kate Middleton.
While the legal surname of all royals is Mountbatten-Windsor, there are a few exceptions that mean they can take on a new one. "The [monarch]'s descendants, other than those with the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince/Princess, or female descendants who marry, would carry the name of Mountbatten-Windsor," the Royal website explains. Therefore, Prince William and Kate Middleton's children, all of whom were given HRH titles upon their birth, have been able to have different surnames. However, Archie and Lilibet only received their Prince/Princess titles when King Charles III was coronated last year.
As GB News Royal reporter Cameron Walker points out, "George Cambridge, Charlotte's Cambridge, Louis Cambridge were written on Kate and William's children's school bags when they started school in Battersea a few years ago."
While George, Charlotte and Louis, who sit second, third and fourth in the royal line of succession, are known as George, Charlotte and Louis Wales to align with William and Kate's latest title of Prince and Princess of Wales, the children have reportedly kept their old surnames of Cambridge, which came from their parents' old titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, at school so as not to confuse things too much. But their legal surnames, the ones written on their birth certificates, are the same as their cousins' legal surnames, Mountbatten-Windsor. At the tender ages of five, eight, and ten, they've already had three surnames!
GoodtoKnow Newsletter
Parenting advice, hot topics, best buys and family finance tips delivered straight to your inbox.
Walker adds, "So this has happened before, but I think it's the timing that's significant here because, of course, it's been announced that they have adopted the Sussex name for their children at the same time that they've rebranded the website.
"This is, at the end of the day, a royal title."
Keep up to date with more royal news such as Princess Charlotte's name is full of hidden tributes to Royal Family - did you notice them all? and Prince George is reportedly set to enrol at a secondary school who promise to produce ‘decent, ambitious’ and climate conscious pupils.
Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is royal news and entertainment writer for Goodto.com. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.
-
New data highlights the main disparities when it comes to parents requesting flexible working, and sadly we're not surprised by the findings
We'll give you three guesses as to which parent is more likely to ask for flexible working arrangements from their employer...
By Sarah Handley Published
-
Who did Bluey have a baby with? Fan theories are running wild following the cartoon’s season 3 finale (our money is on Mackenzie)
The 'Surprise!’ episode has really done what it says on the tin - and many can’t get over the shock of Bluey having a baby
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Prince George, Charlotte and Louis are huge fans of this popular tinned food - and it’s not what you’d expect from the royals
Royal meal times are more similar to the average family's than you might imagine
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Prince George is ‘a chip off the old block’ says body language expert as she highlights the similarities between him and his dad Prince William
The father/son duo share an incredibly close bond
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Does Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's new family-friendly Netflix show mean we'll see more of Archie and Lilibet? We share everything we know
Royal fans are hoping to catch a glimpse of the youngsters
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Why Prince Louis was always destined to be the Royal Family’s ‘wild child’, according to a royal expert
Prince William and Kate Middleton's youngest child has won the hearts of the public with his cheeky behaviour
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Prince George, Charlotte and Louis won’t move into Buckingham Palace when their dad becomes King, according to this royal expert
The 'cold and impersonal' Palace isn't the ideal family home
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Princess Charlotte would have meant ‘everything’ to late grandmother Princess Diana, reveals former royal butler
Despite never getting the chance to meet her, Princess Charlotte has so much in common with her late grandmother
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Prince William treated Prince George to the ultimate father/son bonding night - and everyone is saying the same thing about the youngster
The father and son both have a love for football, bonding over the shared interest
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Carole Middleton has spent the entire Easter break with grandchildren Prince George, Charlotte and Louis - and enjoyed a surprise ‘low-key’ outing with son-in-law Prince William over the weekend
The grandmother is doing everything she can to help the Wales children through Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published