Sussexes Fear King Delayed Children's Passports Over Titles

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly faced significant delays—nearly six months—in obtaining British passports for their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, due to the use of their royal titles and the surname Sussex on the applications. The couple believed King Charles opposed their children carrying the HRH titles and suspected this was the cause of the passport holdup, which led Harry to consider changing their surname to Spencer, honoring his late mother, Princess Diana. Sources close to the Sussexes indicated there was reluctance within the royal household to issue the passports with the HRH designations, as these would legally confirm the children's names. However, Buckingham Palace has strongly denied any interference by the King or his aides in the passport issuance process. The Sussexes had agreed not to use their HRH titles after stepping back from royal duties in 2020, but they maintained the titles privately and wished for their children to retain the chance to become working royals in the future. Ultimately, the passports were issued, but the episode highlighted ongoing tensions regarding the children's royal status and naming conventions.