The Cambridge family, made up of Prince William, Duchess Kate, and their three kids, is well-known to everyone. When the couple got married and became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the surname was given to them.
Did you know, however, that although Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis currently go by the last name “Cambridge,” their surname is likely to change in the future, and for a very sad reason.
Prince Charles, the monarch’s eldest son, will take the throne in Her Majesty the Queen’s absence. The Prince of Wales title will then likely be passed down to William, Charles’ eldest son, by Charles.
The Cambridge family eventually adopted the surname “Wales.”
Like the late Princess Diana, William will be the new Prince of Wales, Kate the Princess of Wales, and their children will be known as Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis of Wales.
Should Prince George get married before his father, William, becomes king, he might even undergo a second name change. In this case, George will receive a dukedom from the reigning monarch (likely Prince Charles), which will replace Wales as his new surname.
Did you know that Prince William and his brother Prince Harry’s children do not share the same last name, further complicating the whole royal surname situation?
Harry’s children Archie and Lilibet are Mountbatten-Windsors, while William’s three children are all Cambridges, deriving from their father’s title, the Duke of Cambridge. They chose not to adopt their father’s new surname of Sussex, which he received upon marrying Meghan Markle.
Why is that so? The Queen stated in Privy Council in 1960 that male line descendants of the monarch, devoid of royal styles and titles, shall bear the name Mountbatten-Windsor. This is according to the royal family’s official website.
Archie, the son of Harry and Meghan, was given the name Master Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor instead of a title when he was born in May 2019 as a tribute to his late great-grandparents, the late Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen.
William and Harry used the surname “Wales” throughout their childhood, including in school, at university, and while serving in the military. Harry held the title of Captain Wales, while William was known as Lieutenant Wales.
