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Updated 13:29 6 Mar 2025 GMTPublished 11:20 6 Mar 2025 GMT

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Rhianna Benson

Much has been said already this week on royal titles - but did you know that Prince Harry actually has a secret first name?

That's right - according to his son's birth certificate, when the Duke of Sussex was himself born to father King Charles III and the late Princess Diana back on 15 September 1984, he wasn't actually given the name 'Harry'.

Anyone else feeling like their whole life has been a lie?

Earlier this week, Harry's wife Meghan Markle revealed that the couple and their two children had actually been sharing a secret surname behind the scenes.

Speaking to PEOPLE Magazine, the former Suitsactress broke the news that she, Harry, five-year-old son Archie and three-year-old daughter Lilibet have all been using 'Sussex' as their official surname for some time.

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The Duchess told the news outlet that the name was bestowed on she and Harry by his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, on their wedding day.

"It’s our shared name as a family, and I guess I hadn’t recognised how meaningful that would be to me until we had children," she gushed.

"I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together."

As we say, this week's revelation has since peaked an unexpected interest in modern day monarchical monikers - particularly when it comes to Harry, with son Archie's birth certificate now also doing the rounds online.

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For those in need of a reminder, the eldest of the Sussex youngsters was born on 6 May 2019.

The infant was given the full name and surname 'Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor' at the time, with the title having been handed to he and sister Lilibet before their grandfather King Charles ascended to the throne in 2022.

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What is more interesting, however, is that father Harry signed the document - which was subsequently obtained by Harper's Bazaar - 'His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex'.

'Henry?', I hear you ask. Yep.

Sure, long-term English tradition says that men named Henry have been nicknamed 'Harry'. And to Metro, even notorious head-chopper-offer Henry VIII was known as 'Harry' by his buddies.

That said, however, 40-year-old Prince Harry once confessed that he hasn't the foggiest why his parents gave him a different moniker.

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Speaking previously with a child named Henry at the WellChild Awards, he told the youngster - as per Entertainment Tonight: "My name is Henry as well. But everyone calls me Harry."

He went on to admit: "I have no idea why."

The same title was also used when Harry's engagement to Meghan was announced in November 2017.

An official palace statement released at the time read: "His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and Ms. Meghan Markle Are Engaged to Be Married."

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Topics: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Prince Archie, Royal Family, Celebrity, US News, UK News