**Royal Baby News**
**Harry and Meghan Break with Tradition on Children's Surnames**
**A departure from the usual royal naming customs**
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their first child, Archie, in May 2019, they opted for a surprising choice in his surname. Unlike their cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, who all bear the family name "Cambridge," Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor adopted a different surname: Mountbatten-Windsor.
This decision marked a departure from traditional royal naming customs, which have typically seen the children of the monarch's sons take the name of their father's dukedom. Prince William and Kate Middleton's children, for example, all use the surname "Cambridge" because William is the Duke of Cambridge.
However, Prince Harry and Meghan's decision to use Mountbatten-Windsor as their children's surname sends a clear message that they are forging their own path within the royal family. The name Mountbatten-Windsor is a combination of Harry's grandfather, Prince Philip's, surname (Mountbatten) and the surname used by the British royal family (Windsor).
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