Unusual reason why Prince Harry's name isn't actually on his birth certificate explained
The Duke of Sussex said he has 'no idea' why it was ever changed
Kings and queens have ruling under regnal names since ancient times, but did you know it isn’t just monarchs who can opt to go by a nickname?
Take Harry, Duke of Sussex, for instance. The 41-year-old is currently fifth in line to the British throne and uses a totally different name to that listed on his birth certificate.
Despite stepping back as a senior working royal in 2020 with his wife, 44-year-old Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry firmly remains in the line of succession.
He currently stands behind heir apparent, William, Prince of Wales, 43, as well as his older brothers’ three children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and seven-year-old Prince Louis.
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Unlike most of his immediate family, the Invictus Games founder lives in California with Meghan and their two kids: Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four.
"I very much enjoy living here and bringing my kids up here,” he said during the 2024 DealBook Summit.
“It's a part of my life that I never thought I was going to live, and I feel as though it's the life that my mom wanted for me, and to be able to do the things that I am able to do with my kids that I undoubtedly wouldn't be able to do in the UK, is huge."
And despite the couple’s celebrity status, TV offerings, viral interviews and well-known royal family struggles, some fans are only just learning that ‘Harry’ isn’t the Prince's real name.
This is because 'Harry' is his nickname, rather than the alias he was given at birth.
"My name is Henry, but everyone calls me Harry. I have no idea,” he previously stated at the WellChild awards.
And he’s right - the Eton College alumnus was christened by Robert Runcie, the former archbishop of Canterbury, as Henry Charles Albert David.
Despite his royal moniker, ‘Henry’ has been known as ‘Harry’ to family, friends, and the public since childhood.
Interestingly, William also apparently calls him ‘Harold’, according to extracts from his 2024 memoir, Spare.
One person who recently found out Harry’s ‘real name’ took to social media to write: “Laughing so much that Prince Harry's name is HENRY and he doesn't know why they call him Harry.
“They just started calling him that and he accepted never questioned it just went along with it.”
A second commented: “Did you guys know that Prince Harry’s real name is actually Henry and one of his middle names is David because I just found out and my brain is in SHAMBLES.”
“Prince Harry's real name being Henry never fails to startle me because I'll be researching and looking at articles for Henry RWRB and see ‘Prince Henry of Wales’ and think I'm hallucinating,” someone else remarked via X.
And it is not just first names that royals can change either.
In 1917, King George V changed the royal house name from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor.
43 years later, his daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, added Mountbatten to honour her husband, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
If that blew your mind, then get a load of this: so many of your favourite celebrities also use monikers.
For example, Bugonia actress Emma Stone’s real name is Emily Stone.
The star admitted that she changed her name upon entering the industry because there was another ‘Emily Stone’ registered with SAG-AFTRA.
However, she said that she would like her peers to refer to her as Emily, rather than Emma.
Other actors, such as Vin Diesel (Mark Sinclair), Jamie Foxx (Eric Marlon Bishop), as well as Elle and Dakota Fanning (Mary Elle and Hannah Dakota), also act under different names.
According to the Fast and Furious icon, he changed his name to Vin Diesel while working as a bouncer for nine years.
Topics: Celebrity, Prince Harry, Royal Family, Social Media, UK News
Ella Scott