Royal Author Claims Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Planning to Give Up Sussex Titles and Use Princess Diana’s Maiden Name, Spencer, As Their Surname

Wait, what? Have to admit—this is one we didn’t see coming: It’s not a secret that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are interested in a rebrand, especially on the heels of their Spotify deal collapsing. But The Daily Express is reporting that the rebrand could include a new last name, dropping Mountbatten-Windsor in favor of Spencer, Princess Diana’s maiden name.

Yeah, like we said, didn’t see that one coming.

“What’s really interesting in the rebranding of the Sussexes is that Meghan decided her real object in life was to be Diana,” royal author Tom Bower told GB News. “That has always been her passion. That has also been Harry’s passion, and Meghan went to the extent of suggesting that they should drop the name Windsor and take the surname Spencer. So she’d be Meghan Spencer—the new Diana.”

Bower told host Dan Wootton that he believes the subject has already been discussed with others, and that Harry is on board to take his mother’s name, too.

“They’ve discussed it not only by themselves but with others, too,” Bower said. “This isn’t something they’ve plucked out of their minds. They were actively trying to recast themselves as Harry and Meghan. He’d take his mother’s name, too. It’s all about the break off.”

This “bid to align with Diana” would also include dropping the Sussex title, Bower said. Harry and Meghan were given the titles Duke and Duchess of Sussex by Her late Majesty upon their wedding in 2018. Though their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, originally used the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, on the official line of succession they too have now adopted the Sussex title, going by Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.

“They’d also give up the Sussex title because instead you’ve got the new incarnation of Diana,” Bower said.

Well—consider us shocked.