PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle have changed the names of Archie and Lilibet to “unify” the family, a source claims.
The children were known as Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, first coined after the surnames of the late Queen and Prince Philip.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to have rebranded to ‘unite’ their familyCredit: Alexi Lubomirski
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Archie’s surname has now been changed to Sussex, according to a source Credit: Netflix
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An insider said that Lilibeth’s surname has also changed from Mountbatten-WindsorCredit: Netflix
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Meghan and Harry were all smiles yesterday as they were spotted out for the first time since their new website was launched Credit: i-Images
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Harry tried out skiing as he and Meghan launched next year’s Invictus GamesCredit: Getty
But since the king’s coronation, the children are now like Archie and Lilibet Sussex.
News of the change coincides with the couple launching their new website, Sussex.com, which sources say was an attempt to “unify” the family.
But Harry and Meghan have been heavily criticized for the site, with one royal expert accusing them of “cashing in” on their royal connections.
Both will be surnamed Sussex in a “proud moment” for the family to mark their “unification”.
An insider told The Times: “The reality behind the new site is very simple — it’s a business hub for the Sussexes and reflects the fact that the family, for the first time since the King’s coronation, has the same surname.
“It’s a big thing for any family. It represents their unification and it’s a proud moment.”
The names Archie and Lilibet were controversial for the Sussexes.
When Archie was born in May 2019, he was seventh in line to the throne and – although he was a great-grandson of the monarch – he was not the first-born son of the future king, so he was not automatically a prince.
In their shock interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan hinted that Archie not automatically being given the title of prince was a matter of dispute.
She said: “All the grandeur about these things is not really important to me.
“But in those months when I was pregnant, around the same time: we’re in tandem, he’s not going to get the security, the title, and also the worries and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.”
Here are some lesser known facts about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Oprah asked Meghan: “How did they explain to you that your son, the Queen’s great-grandson, will not be a prince?
“You must have discussed this with Harry and wondered why they didn’t want to make Archie a prince.”
But sources claimed the couple “didn’t want any titles for their children” and had told the royal family as much – but went on to lament their son’s lack of titles to Oprah anyway.
Another source told the Telegraph that Meghan and Harry “never raised the issue” and that the Duke of Sussex was “adamant” that Archie “should be brought up without titles like Harry’s cousins Peter and Zara Phillips”.
This reflects the fact that the family bears the same surname for the first time since the king’s coronation
Then new claims claimed Meghan and Harry rejected Archie’s earldom because it contained the word “stupid”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided against giving their son the Earl of Dumbarton title because they reportedly feared it would attract unfortunate nicknames.
Last year, it was revealed that Meghan and Harry intended to use the prince and princess for both children in a formal setting as Charles is now king, calling it a “birthright”.
A spokesman for the Sussexes said: “The children’s titles are a birthright since their grandfather became monarch.
“This matter has been settled for some time in agreement with Buckingham Palace.”
Yesterday, Prince Harry tried his hand at sit-skiing while accompanied by his wife Meghan during their visit to Canada.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are staying in Whistler, British Columbia to mark the one year anniversary of the 2025 Invictus Games.
The couple made their way through the snow holding hands, hugging and saying hello to people along the way.
During the Valentine’s Day trip, Harry, 39, was shown how to ski while Meghan, 42, waited for him at the bottom of the slope.
The pair – wearing woolly hats and snow boots – chatted and joked with groups of sit-and-stand skiers and visually impaired athletes.
Among those they spoke with was Canadian para-alpine skier Alex Cairns.
Born with spina bifida, the 32-year-old competed in his first Paralympic Winter Games in 2018.
He and Meghan are expected to attend a wheelchair curling demonstration in nearby Vancouver tomorrow.
How the names of Archie and Lilibet changed over time
Born in May 2019, Archie was seventh in line to the throne so was too far down the line of succession to be given the title of prince.
Although he was the great-grandson of the monarch, he was not the first-born son of the future king or queen, so he was not automatically a prince.
In their shock interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan hinted that Archie not automatically being given the title of prince was a matter of dispute.
She said: “All the grandeur around these things is not really important to me.
“But in those months when I was pregnant, around the same time: we’re in tandem, he’s not going to get the security, the title, and also the worries and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.”
Oprah asked Meghan: “How did they explain to you that your son, the Queen’s great-grandson, will not be a prince?
“You must have discussed this with Harry and wondered why they didn’t want to make Archie a prince.”
But sources claimed the couple “didn’t want any titles for their children” and had told the royal family as much – but went on to lament their son’s lack of titles to Oprah anyway.
Another source told the Telegraph that Meghan and Harry “never raised the issue” and that the Duke of Sussex was “adamant” that Archie “should be brought up without titles like Harry’s cousins Peter and Zara Phillips”.
Then new claims claimed Meghan and Harry rejected Archie’s earldom because it contained the word “stupid”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided against giving their son the Earl of Dumbarton title because they reportedly feared it would attract unfortunate nicknames.
Last year, it was revealed that Meghan and Harry intended to use the prince and princess for both children in a formal setting as Charles is now king, calling it a “birthright”.
A spokesman for the Sussexes said: “The children’s titles are a birthright since their grandfather became monarch.
“This matter has been settled for some time in agreement with Buckingham Palace.”
But the couple are said to have wanted to give Archie and Lilibet the chance to decide for themselves whether to drop or continue using the titles when they get older.
The young people became prince and princess when the king ascended the throne, but remained mere “lord” and “miss” on the Buckingham Palace website for six months.
However, the change was updated on the royal family’s website in May – naming the youngsters as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
As the children of the sovereign’s son, Archie and Lili are automatically prince and princess and now have the style of HRH if they choose.
But the couple are said to have wanted to give Archie and Lilibet the chance to decide for themselves whether to drop or continue using the titles when they get older.
The young people became prince and princess when the king ascended the throne, but for six months they remained mere “lord” and “miss” on the Buckingham Palace website.
However, the change was updated on the royal family’s website in May – naming the youngsters as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
As the children of the sovereign’s son, Archie and Lili are automatically prince and princess and now have the style of HRH if they choose.
The couple came under fire this week just hours after launching Sussex.com, which they called a “one-stop shop” where fans could get “personal updates”.
The late Queen banned the couple from using ‘SussexRoyal’ after they stepped down from royal duties four years ago.
The Queen ordered the couple to mothball it in their January 2020 exit settlement, when Meghan and Harry ceased to be senior royals.
The couple will find themselves ‘under fire’ for the royal coat of arms
By Matt Wilkinson
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry are about to come under fire for using their royal coat of arms in a US rebrand.
The Duchess of Sussex worked closely with the College of Arms in London to create the design, Kensington Palace said when it was first revealed following their royal wedding in May 2018.
The coat of arms – reminiscent of their royal life despite having gone to live in the US – features a blue shield representing the Pacific Ocean and rays symbolizing the California sun
The lion is associated with the Duke of Sussex and the songbird supporting him represents Meghan.
Beneath the shield is the state flower of California, the golden poppy and wintersweet, and it is also featured on the Duchess’s wedding veil.
Three feathers illustrate the power of words and communication.
The royal coat of arms was barely used by the couple before.
And a royal expert tonight criticized the Sussexes for “cashing in” on the coat of arms.
Angela Levin told The Sun: “They’re cashing in on their royal connections, which they say they really hate.
“Queen Elizabeth II would be furious because they promised not to do it.
“They should be prevented from using the title they have insulted for years
“They left the royal family because they wanted nothing to do with it, but now they realize they can use Sussex and not Archewell.
“Four years after they left, they’re trying to be royal and also setting up an ‘Office’ of Prince Harry and Meghan, it’s so hypocritical.
“It’s pathetic, they couldn’t use SussexRoyal so they found a way around it.
But the new page still links to the Sussex Royal website.
Visitors to that page see a notice that reads: “This page was established in 2020 and features the workflows of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex prior to their move to the United States.”
The link then takes the couple back to Sussex.com.
Meghan broke her silence on the new Sussex.com yesterday, ignoring critics as she boasted about its design.
She and Harry were then grinning from ear to ear as they met the veterans on the ice to launch next year’s Invictus Games.
The prince took a hands-on approach, trying his hand at sit-skiing while Meghan looked on with a smile.
They hugged and shook hands with dozens of people in their first appearance since the rebrand.
The pair were branded “pathetic” for using their royal crest on the new site, despite no longer being part of the Firm.
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The pair met with veterans today as part of the games launch Credit: Getty
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Meghan was all smiles as she spoke to people today Credit: James Whatling
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Harry beamed as he jumped into one of the sit-on skis Credit: Getty
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The Sussexes launched their new website earlier this week
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