Prince William and Prince Harry used the last name “Wales” before getting married, as a way to honor their father, King Charles III. Since royals don’t usually need surnames, they didn’t have one on their birth certificates.
While they sometimes used “Mountbatten-Windsor,” they went by “Wales” in school and the military, since Charles was the Prince of Wales at the time. After marrying Kate Middleton in 2011, William became the Duke of Cambridge and used “Cambridge” as a surname. However, in 2022, when Charles became king and gave him the Prince of Wales title, he returned to using “Wales,” as do his children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Prince Harry became the Duke of Sussex after marrying Meghan Markle in 2018 and used “Sussex” as his surname. His children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, originally had the last name “Mountbatten-Windsor” but became “Sussex” after King Charles took the throne.
Meghan Markle explained in her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, that sharing the Sussex name with her family means a lot to her. She said it brings them closer and is a big part of her and Harry’s love story.
