Understand why Prince William and Prince Harry's children have different surnames

For most families around the world, the tradition is to pass the father's surname on to his children, but this is not the case for the British Royal Family.

Prince William (40) and Kate Middleton (40) have three young children: George (8), Charlotte (7) and Louis (4) who share the surname Cambridge, after their father's title, the Duke of Cambridge.

However, the same rule does not apply to the children of her brother, Prince Harry (37) and his wife, Meghan Markle (40): Archie (3) and Lilibet (1).

According to the Royal Family's official website, in 1960, the Queen made a declaration to the Privy Council, which stated that male-line descendants of the monarch, without royal titles, would have the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.

“In 1960, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh decided that they would like their own direct descendants to be distinguished from the rest of the royal family,” explains the website, referring to how, in 1917, George V declared that all descendants in the male line of Queen Victoria would have the surname Windsor.

“It was therefore declared in the Privy Council that the Queen's descendants, except those with the title of Royal Highness and the title of Prince/Princess, or female descendants who married, would have the surname Mountbatten-Windsor”adds the website.

When Archie was born in 2019, he was not given a royal title. Instead, the royal baby was to be known as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor – a nod to his great-grandparents, the Queen and the late Duke of Edinburgh. Archie's younger sister, Lilibet Diana, shares the same surname.

_{Prince William and Prince Harry. (Photo: Reproduction/Getty Images)}

Princess Diana's sons have also had different surnames in the past. William and Harry grew up with the surname Wales, using it at school, university and during their careers in the army. William was known as Lieutenant Wales, while Harry held the rank of Captain Wales. The surname was inherited from their father, Prince Charles, whose royal title is Prince of Wales.

However, when the brothers married, they were given new titles by the Queen and their surnames changed. When Prince William married Kate Middleton, the Queen gave him the title Duke of Cambridge. Similarly, when Prince Harry married Meghan Markle, he became known as the Duke of Sussex.

It is expected that in the future, royal children will assume these titles.

Featured Photo: Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, with Meghan Markle and their children. Reproduction/Monet Magazine