Real meaning behind Prince Harry’s name as it’s revealed King Charles wanted another for him
ICYMI, while the Duke of Sussex is commonly known as 'Prince Harry', this isn't the royal's actual name.
Yep, if you saw a glimpse of Harry's passport or birth certificate, you'd see that his name is totally different.
While we can't imagine Harry with any other name, Harry's father, King Charles, actually preferred a different name for his son altogether.
Advert
Royal names tend to be quite traditional, which could explain why Harry has a different 'real' name.
When he was born, Harry's given name was actually Henry - a royal name dating back centuries.
The Duke was actually christened Prince Henry Charles Albert David.
However, according to HELLO!, Henry was only used by Charles and Diana in certain situations and for the most part, Harry was referred to as 'Harry' - although we know from the Duke of Sussex's autobiography, Spare, that his brother Prince William also refers to him as 'Harold'.
Harry's middle names include the moniker Albert which also holds significance, especially considering King Charles reportedly wanted to use this as Harry's first name.
Albert was the name of Queen Victoria's husband. Apparently, although the late Queen and King Charles preferred the name Albert, Princess Diana was not as keen.
Harry has previously spoken about his name, explaining he has no idea why he's called Harry, considering it's not actually one of his given names.
Speaking at the WellChild Awards, he said: "My name is Henry, but everyone calls me Harry. I have no idea."
In the past, royal fans have also been perplexed about Harry's name, having never realised that he's really called Henry.
One wrote on X: "I just found out that Prince Harry’s real name is HENRY?!?!"
While another said: "We don’t talk enough about how prince harry’s real name is henry."
And a third added: "You do realize Prince Harry's actual name is Henry, right?"
Turns out that Meghan Markle's name is slightly different to what you might think, too.
Yep, the Duchess of Sussex's first name is actually Rachel, which coincidentally was also the name of her character in Suits.
Speaking on The Racheal Ray Show before she met Prince Harry, Meghan explained: "Did you know my first name is Rachel in real life? Did you know that?"
It's reported that Meghan had been using her middle name for some time, although it's not clear why she decided to do this.
Topics: Prince Harry, King Charles III, Royal Family
Lucy Devine