Overview

• After nearly six months of administrative delays and a legal threat, the Home Office issued UK passports for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet with their HRH titles and the Sussex surname.
• Out of exasperation over the passport hold-up, Harry sought advice from his uncle, Earl Spencer, about adopting Princess Diana’s maiden name for his family.
• Earl Spencer cautioned against the change, citing significant legal hurdles that could make abandoning the Mountbatten-Windsor surname impractical.
• Shifting from Mountbatten-Windsor to Spencer would publicly distance Harry from his father’s lineage and risk deepening the rift with senior members of the royal family.
• With their children’s passports finalized, the Sussexes now face renewed scrutiny over their public identity as Harry maintains his push for family reconciliation.