Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are no strangers to nicknames, using them affectionately for each other and even their children.
Meghan and Harry have endearing nicknames for each other, with Meghan calling Harry ‘H’ and Harry referring to Meghan as ‘M.’ Interestingly, Prince Harry’s birth name, ‘Henry Charles Albert David,’ is actually a nickname, as his parents, King Charles III and Princess Diana, called him that at birth.
Their daughter Lilibet, named after Queen Elizabeth’s own nickname, has her own adorable nickname, ‘Lili,’ and her play area is affectionately known as ‘Lili Land.’
However, Meghan’s own name was notably missing from their son Archie’s birth certificate. Originally listed as ‘Rachel Meghan,’ the document was later edited by Buckingham Palace to read ‘Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex,’ along with her occupation listed as ‘Princess of the United Kingdom.’ This change was reportedly mandated by the Palace, not requested by Meghan or Harry.
Regarding their newborn daughter, Lilibet Diana, Meghan’s name on her birth certificate remains ‘Rachel Meghan Markle,’ with no mention of her royal titles.
While this change in names might seem unusual, the Royal Family does not have specific rules for how individuals should be styled on official documents. For example, Kate Middleton is listed as ‘Catherine Elizabeth’ on her children’s birth certificates, and Princess Diana was styled as ‘Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales’ on her sons’ certificates.
Archie’s birth had its share of drama, as Prince Harry revealed in his memoir and Netflix docuseries with Meghan. Breaking with tradition, they chose not to do the customary photo call on the hospital steps after Archie’s birth. Instead, they held a photo call at Windsor Castle’s St George’s Hall two days later, with Harry suggesting that the Palace wanted to keep “people tuned to the show.”
