Prince Harry wants to use his mother's last name

Prince Harry asked his uncle Earl Spencer about changing his surname to "Spencer" during a recent trip to the UK, a move that sources close to the royal family say is a sign of the continuing rift between him and the royal family.

The New York Times reported that Harry had expressed a sincere desire to adopt the last name of his late mother, Princess Diana, as his official identity, but Earl Spencer dissuaded him from pursuing the decision, citing the legal complexities and potential consequences of such a move.

If this decision were to be implemented, Harry would have to give up the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, which is reserved for the descendants of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip; the name by which his children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are already known.

This comes after Harry and Meghan Markle's family officially adopted "Sussex" as their last name last year, and Meghan has confirmed that she will now be known as "Meghan Sussex."

The New York Times wrote that such a change, if implemented, could be met with a negative reaction from King Charles and Prince William, two members of the royal family who have always been proud of the Mountbatten-Windsor name.