Royal Family
Archie & Lilibet Get A New Last Name
The Prince and Princess quietly adopted the new surname in May 2023.
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are getting a royal rebrand.
On Feb. 13, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle relaunched their official website under a new name, Sussex.com, on which the pair use their royal titles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The updated website, which replaces Archewell.com, also displays their children’s names as Archie and Lilibet Sussex.
The youngsters had previously taken the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, adhering to a decades-long naming tradition, which states, “The King’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.”
Archie and Lilibet weren’t originally awarded the titles of Prince, Princess, or HRH at birth as they weren’t grandchildren of a reigning monarch, but when their grandfather King Charles ascended to the throne in May 2023, they became eligible for titles.
Per The Times, Harry and Meghan quietly adopted the Sussex surname for their children at that time.
This change aligns with Prince William’s family. When King Charles made William and Kate Middleton the Prince and Princess of Wales, their children — George, Charlotte, and Louis — adopted Wales as a surname.
As for the Sussex family, “The reality behind the new site is very simple,” a source told The Times, adding, “It’s a hub for the work [they] do and it reflects the fact the family have, since the King’s coronation, the same surname for the first time. ... That’s a big deal for any family. It represents their unification and it’s a proud moment.”
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to clarify the naming traditions in the royal family.
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