Prince Harry Wants to Be Introduced as Just "Harry" Now

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published 26 February 2020

At the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on Wednesday, the Duke of Sussex asked journalist Ayesha Hazarika to make sure to introduce him as just "Harry." Noted Hazarika in her introduction: "He's made it clear that we are all just to call him Harry. So ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, warm, Scottish welcome to Harry." No HRH, no Duke, no Prince—just "Harry."

Back in early January, Prince Harry (or just Harry, I guess?) and Meghan Markle announced they would be stepping down from senior royal duties to become more financially independent, focus on their family, and start their own charitable organization (which, per a terse exchange with the Queen last week, will not have "royal" in its name). This conference is one of Harry's last events as a senior royal before he steps down on March 31, signaling the beginning of a new chapter for him, Markle, and Archie.

The Duke traveled to Edinburgh for the conference on behalf of Travelyst, a sustainable tourism company he founded. There, he listened to feedback from multiple other travel companies on how to make the industry more sustainable.

"We want to hear truths and perspectives from across the industry," he said, according to The Guardian. "We don't need to reinvent the wheel, a lot of great work has already been done. But our research again shows that many of these endeavors have failed to reach the conscientiousness of consumers."

According to Royal Correspondent Rebecca English, the Duke takes the practice of traveling more eco-friendly to heart (which may have something to do with the enormous backlash over that time he took a private jet). He flew into London on a commercial flight from Canada and then traveled to Edinburgh by train. Imagine sitting next to Prince Harry—oops I mean Harry—on your flight. Time will tell if "Harry" is more of an aisle or window seat kind of guy.

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Bianca Rodriguez is the Fashion & Luxury Commerce Manager at Hearst Magazines, covering fashion, beauty, and more for Cosmopolitan, Elle, Esquire, Harper’s BAZAAR, and Town & Country. In addition to spearheading commerce content across brands—from writing about wardrobe must-haves and sales at major retailers to strategizing—she is also an avid reader with a deep love and knowledge for books of all genres. More often than not, you can find her lounging with a good book on the weekend.