AMP in the post
Just how many surnames does one get to have in life? The answer to that question may depend on need. For example, when a woman changes from her maiden name to the name of her husband after marriage. Another example is when a woman might decide to revert to her maiden name after a divorce.
What about the British royals though? For some, such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle the issue is a bit murky. Royal fans who have watched Prince Harry for a long time know that up until recently he was entitled to use the “His Royal Highness” title and this actually served in place of a surname.
Unfortunately for Harry (maybe not so much for Meghan) since the couple decided to take a step back from their royal duties so that they could focus on becoming financially independent from The Firm, they were formally stripped of the “HRH” titles altogether.
Where to from here? Well, as pretty much everyone knows, Meghan Markle has obviously continued to use her maiden name even after marriage to Prince Harry. That’s something that is likely to continue if the truth is told. Indeed, from the point of view of marketing and publicity, the reason is absolutely clear. In Hollywood and America, “Meghan Markle” is the Duchess of Sussexes brand name! When and if people go to see a film with Meghan in it, they’ll go because they want to see Meghan Markle, not because it’s got the wife of Prince Harry in it.
Now, Meghan Markle has made it publicly known that she wishes to return to her acting career as soon as possible. She’s taken meetings with film producers, done some voice over work for Disney, has received cameo offers from the staff of the hit sit-com, “The Simpsons,” etc. Therefore, from Meghan’s point of view it’s likely to be incredibly important that at least in North America she keep the “Markle” surname.
AMP in the post
What about Prince Harry though? Where does he stand? If one pays attention to history, then one knows Prince Harry used his father’s “Wales” surname when he was in the army and even before that at school. It’s possible that Prince Harry could choose to do so again. Alternatively, fans of Prince Harry might see him choose to take the same surname he and Meghan chose for their son Archie, which would make Harry’s new surname “Mountbatten-Windsor.”
The truth is, for the moment, neither Prince Harry or Meghan Markle seem to have made a decision. Since the royal couple is now residing on Vancouver Island in Canada, and are no longer working for The Firm, one can bet they’ll need to make that decision sooner rather than later.