What surname will Prince Harry use now after royal exit?

The year 2021 has been a rollercoaster ride for Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Queen Elizabeth II, and the rest of the royal family.

It all began when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced on Valentine's Day that they are expecting their second child.

Shortly after, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle formally announced that they will be stepping down as working members of the British Royal Family.

Then on March 8, the royal couple made explosive revelations during their exclusive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, including having experienced racism within the royal family and Prince Harry feeling trapped as a royal.

Prince Harry during their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey / Source: Harpo Productions/ CBS

It's only a little over a month since then but many changes have already happened.

Prince William has since denied the allegations of racism within the British Royal Family, while Prince Harry has landed his first job at the Silicon Valley startup, BetterUp, as Chief Impact Officer.

And unfortunately, Prince Philip passed away at age 99 on April 9, while his other half Queen Elizabeth II turned 95 years old on April 21.

Aside from being cut off financially by the royal family, more changes are up ahead for Prince Harry such as what surname he'll be using from now on.

By default, Prince Harry doesn't actually have a surname like most civilians do, since he used to use the HRH (his or her royal highness) title.

What surname should Prince Harry use from now on? / Source: @betterupco (FB)

So, what's his official name? According to what Prince Harry listed in his son Archie's birth certificate, his actual name (before stepping down as a working royal) is His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex.

But for those members of the royal family who don't use the HRH title, the surname they use is Mountbatten-Windsor, just like Archie.

This is based on the rules set by the Royal Palace. Their official website states, “The Queen's descendants, other than those with the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince/Princess or female descendants who marry, would carry the name of Mountbatten-Windsor.”

You might be wondering why people call him Prince Harry when his actual first name is Henry.

Well, it's simply because Harry is a diminutive of Henry or what we commonly call a nickname.

So, now that Prince Harry no longer uses the HRH title, what name should he use?

Well, he can opt for simply Prince Harry or Duke of Sussex.

And for documentation purposes, he may use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.

Another possible option is to use Sussex as his surname since the children of Prince William and Kate Middleton (Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) use Cambridge as their surname in school.

This seemed to be patterned after the name Prince Harry adopted during his military career.

Back then he was known as Captain Harry Wales since his father Prince Charles is known as the Prince of Wales.

For more lifestyle content, head out to GMA's Lifestyle page.

In case you missed it, here are the highlights of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Also, check out the gallery below of other royals who dropped their titles and why.