London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 07, 2026

Meghan Markle denies she asked to change her name on Archie’s birth certificate

Meghan Markle denies she asked to change her name on Archie’s birth certificate

Meghan Markle has denied reports that she requested her first names be erased from her son’s birth certificate and replaced with just her royal title.

The couple were said to have taken ‘Rachel Meghan’ off their first child’s official papers and instead left ‘Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex’ listed as Archie’s mother, The Sun reported.

The Duke of Sussex also changed his name on June 5, 2019, but he kept his forenames and added ‘Prince’ to his title.

When Archie was registered on May 17, 2019, his dad was listed as ‘His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex’ but it was later changed to ‘His Royal Highness Prince Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex’.

But the name changes were not requested by Meghan or Harry and instead ordered by Buckingham Palace, said a spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex following the reports.

The spokesperson told The Independent: ‘The change of name on public documents in 2019 was dictated by The Palace, as confirmed by documents from senior Palace officials.

‘This was not requested by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex nor by The Duke of Sussex.’

Royal writer Ingrid Seward had told The Sun the ‘unprecedented move’ could be a ‘sign they were desperate to do something different to the Cambridges’.

The duchess’ spokesperson said the paper’s claim of a ‘snub’ or to suggest that Meghan ‘would oddly want to be nameless on her child’s birth certificate, or any other legal document, would be laughable were it not offensive’.

Kate Middleton made headlines in 2018 for keeping her first names before her royal title on her third child’s birth certificate.


Archie’s old birth certificate (pictured) listed his mother’s forenames


William is listed as ‘His Royal Highness Prince William Arthur Philip Louis Duke of Cambridge’ and little Louis is officially named ‘His Royal Highness Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge’.

But Kate has referred to herself as ‘Catherine Elizabeth Her Royal Highness Duchess of Cambridge’.

The Sussexes’ decision could also be seen as Harry looking at his wife in the same light as his mum Diana who always referred to herself as ‘Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales’.

Lady Colin Campbell, an author who has written four books about the royal family, noticed the amendment.

She had said: ‘It is extraordinary and raises all kinds of questions about what the Sussexes were thinking.’

Archie was born on May 6, 2019, and his parents stepped back as senior royals in ‘Megxit’ on January 9, 2020.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Met Office Issues Heatwave Alerts for London and Southern England
Keir Starmer Blocks Earlier World Cup Kick-Off Time for England Match Against Mexico
NHS Digital Transformation and Media Consolidation Highlight UK Policy Priorities
UK Government Pushes Digital Trade Rules to Cut Export Costs for Businesses
Bank of England Plans Leverage Rule Changes to Support Government Bond Market
UK Police Operation Targets Organised Immigration Crime Networks With Hundreds of Arrests
Yvette Cooper Calls for Global AI Rules to Prevent Security Risks
NHS Begins Major AI Expansion Through £10 Billion Digital Investment Programme
UK Government Tightens Rules on Political Donations to Limit Foreign Influence
Keir Starmer Defends UK Defence Spending Plan at NATO Summit in Turkey
Comcast’s Sky Agrees £1.6 Billion Deal to Acquire ITV Media and Entertainment Division
Senior NHS Doctors Vote in Favour of Renewed Strike Action Over Pay Dispute
Andy Burnham Set to Succeed Keir Starmer as Labour Leadership Nominations Open
Microsoft Lays Off 4,800 Employees and Xbox Suffers the Hardest Blow
Deep Purple Has Released Its Best Album in Decades
Office for National Statistics Updates Historical Investment Data Review to Improve Accuracy
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Highlights Economic Gains From Digital Inclusion
Debate Intensifies Over UK Defence Strategy and Domestic Security Priorities
Report Warns Full Transport Accessibility Could Add £176 Billion to UK Economy Annually
Medicines Regulator Approves First Targeted Treatment for Advanced Merkel Cell Skin Cancer
Government Commits £22 Million to Brighton Seafront Infrastructure Renewal and Transport Safety
National Security Bill Returns to House of Commons Amid Calls to Protect Humanitarian Work
Government Tightens Overseas Political Donation Rules to Strengthen Safeguards Against Foreign Influence
NHS Maternity Reform Expands Central Oversight After Critical National Review
Dover Border Warnings Highlight Post-Brexit Pressure on Cross-Channel Trade
Private Nuclear Consortium Advances £35 Billion Small Reactor Strategy in UK
UK Labour Leadership Signals Shift Toward Reindustrialisation and Regional Power
House of Lords Debates Rail Nationalisation Bill to Create Great British Railways
Scottish Affairs Committee Expands Inquiry Into SNP Financial Conduct
Evri Launches £1.2 Million Defamation Case Against BBC Over Panorama Investigation
Port of Dover Warns of Border Delays as EU Entry-Exit System Looms
Nigel Farage Referred to Standards Watchdog Over Alleged Undeclared Benefits
UK Government Faces Scrutiny Over Claimed AI Datacentre Investment After FOI Findings
UK and India Finalise Trade Agreement Rules Ahead of Mid-July Implementation
UK Government Establishes National Maternity Commissioner After Major Review of NHS Care Failures
Private Consortium Plans £35 Billion UK Nuclear Programme Targeting Small Modular Reactor Rollout
Andy Burnham Sets Out Ten-Year Reindustrialisation and Devolution Plan as Leadership Transition to UK Premiership Advances
Morocco and France Advance as 2026 FIFA World Cup Enters Quarterfinals.
Historic 2026 Tour de France Opens in Barcelona With Revamped Team Time Trial.
Global Mergers and Acquisitions Approach $4 Trillion Defying Geopolitical Tumult.
Negotiators Advance 20-Point Framework for Gaza Ceasefire and Demilitarization.
OECD Warns Middle East Conflict Will Depress Global Economic Growth.
Ukrainian Drones Strike Major Oil Terminal in St. Petersburg.
World Meteorological Organization Issues Urgent Alert Over Rapidly Intensifying El Niño.
United States Commemorates 250th Anniversary With Diplomatic Summits and Global Flotilla.
Iran Begins Days-Long Funeral for Supreme Leader Khamenei Amid Strait of Hormuz Standoff.
Technology giant reports surging carbon emissions driven by artificial intelligence infrastructure demands.
Artificial intelligence adoption accelerates workforce reductions across the technology and financial sectors.
Global technology and financial conglomerates collaborate to launch a new stablecoin standard.
United States regulators lift export restrictions on a major frontier artificial intelligence model.
×