Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s name change on Archie’s birth certificate is a ‘snub’

In a bizarre change, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have quietly removed the Duchess of Sussex’s first name from their son Archie’s birth certificate. Archie was born on May 6, 2019, and his birth was duly documented 11 days later, with an amendment made on June 5.

The boy’s official papers no longer list “Rachel Meghan” as his mother, but “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex,” as reported by the Mirror. The change comes amid growing speculation about friction between Harry, his brother William and their respective wives.

The Sun has previously suggested that the change could be a snub to the Prince and Princess of Wales, given that Kate’s names are included on all of her children’s birth certificates. It could also be seen as a move by Harry to closely associate Meghan with his late mother, Princess Diana, who was always referred to as “Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales.”

Shortly after the changes were made to the document, Harry and Meghan abandoned their joint philanthropic project with the Fab Four and left the royal family within months.

The controversial departure from royal duties was dubbed “Megxit” by the media, and the Sussexes have since relocated to the United States, where they welcomed their second child, Princess Lilibet, in 2021.

Lady Colin Campbell, who discovered the revision, expressed her thoughts, saying: “It’s extraordinary and it raises all sorts of questions about what the Sussexes were thinking.” Dickie Arbiter, the Queen’s former press secretary, suggested the changes could be “part one of their plans”.

Royal expert Ingrid Seward added: “For a member of the royal family to alter a birth certificate is unprecedented, but for them to remove names is remarkable. It’s perhaps another sign that they were desperate to do something different for the Cambridges.”

The couple’s relationship with the royal family appears to remain strained following the publication of Harry’s memoir, Spare, last year, which offered his views on his relationships with senior members of the firm, including his father, King Charles, and brother, Prince William.

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, the couple’s two children are now known as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.