Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have launched their new website and ended a 64-year-old royal naming tradition by changing their children’s names.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made headlines when they unveiled their royal website sussex.com and fans immediately noticed that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s names have had a glossy make-over.
The children have been known as Archie Sussex and Lilibet Sussex, rather than Mountbatten-Windsor, since the coronation.
The Mountbatten-Windsor surname was decreed by the Privy Counsel in 1960 and applied to male-line descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
Speaking to The Times, a source said: “The reality behind the new site is very simple — it’s a hub for the work the Sussexes 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.”
But the decision to use their children’s royal titles on their new website has been described as ‘surprising,’ with many accusing the couple of boasting their connection to the Royal Family.
Their website’s homepage shows ‘The Office of Prince Harry & Meghan, The Duke & Duchess of Sussex.’ It also features a special coat of arms designed for Meghan, which critics claim is a breach of their promise to the late Queen when they stepped down from their royal duties.
A source close to the Sussexes defended the use of their royal titles, saying: “Prince Harry and Meghan are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. That is a fact. It is their surname and family name.”
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