Harry and Meghan consider mother Diana's Spencer surname amid royal rift and passport row: Report
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly considered changing their family name to Spencer amid delays in securing British passports for their children, Archie and Lilibet, according to The Guardian. Citing a source, the report suggests Harry believed British officials were stalling the passport applications due to the use of the Sussex surname and the HRH titles for the children.
The Duke of Sussex is said to have discussed the idea with his late mother Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer. However, contrary to earlier media reports, a source told Reuters that Spencer did not advise Harry against the change and that legal hurdles were not deemed insurmountable.
Harry and Meghan have lived in California since stepping back from royal duties in 2020. Since then, they've openly criticised the royal institution in interviews, documentaries, and Harry's memoir Spare, leading to strained ties with the monarchy. Harry is now barely in contact with his father, King Charles III, or his brother, Prince William.
In a BBC interview last month, Harry said he seeks reconciliation, but his relationship with King Charles remains tense amid a dispute over security arrangements during visits to the UK.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
'Lonely' Prince Harry in California has only bodyguards for company
Prince Harry may be living in a $14 million Italian-style mansion in California with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, but life behind closed doors is reportedly far from perfect for the Duke of Sussex. According to NewsNation, which cited unnamed sources close to the royal, Prince Harry is feeling 'desperately lonely,' cut off from long-time friends and family, and struggling to form close relationships in the US. 'He doesn't really have any real friends in the area except for polo star Nacho Figueras, and Nacho travels constantly for matches," a friend told the outlet. 'He spends a lot of his time chilling with his bodyguards." Though Harry remains close to a few old friends from the UK, such as Guy Pelly and Mark Dyer, the time difference and distance have made regular contact difficult. 'There's no one else for him to hang out with besides Nacho, Meghan, and the children," the source added. The report also said that since stepping down from royal duties in 2020, Harry's social circle has grown smaller. 'It's hard to forge deep friendships when you're older especially when you're wary of people leaking things to the press," one insider noted. A friend even compared Harry's current situation to that of his great-great-uncle Edward VIII, who gave up the throne for love and lived abroad. 'It's like history is repeating itself," the friend said. Meanwhile, Meghan Markle reportedly wishes Harry could move on. 'Meghan wishes her husband could feel less burdened by the past and more present in the life they've built together,' a source told *People* magazine. Prince Harry's Life in California Compared to Edward VIII's Exile Prince Harry's current situation is drawing comparisons to that of his great-great-uncle, Edward VIII, who abdicated the British throne to marry Wallis Simpson and spent the rest of his life abroad, largely distanced from the royal family. A source told NewsNation, 'It's like history is repeating itself,' referring to Harry's estrangement from King Charles and Prince William and his life away from royal duties in the United States. However, unlike Edward and Wallis, Harry and Meghan have remained in the public eye through media projects, including Netflix shows, books, and public appearances. The Duke of Sussex is said to be struggling with loneliness, having left behind most of his social circle in the UK. Though still close to long-time friends like Guy Pelly and Mark Dyer—who also have American wives—they are based in Texas and Virginia, making regular meetings rare. 'It's harder to forge deep friendships with people when you're older, especially if you're wary they may speak to the press,' a friend was quoted as saying. Harry is also reportedly upset about delays in securing British passports for his children, Archie and Lilibet. According to reports, he even sought advice from his uncle, Earl Spencer, about possibly adopting his late mother Princess Diana's surname. While he ultimately did not go with 'Spencer', the Sussexes are said to have dropped 'Mountbatten-Windsor' and now quietly use 'Sussex' as their family name. A source told People magazine, 'Meghan wishes her husband could feel less burdened by the past and more present in the life they've built together.'
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Omar's witty reminder to Centre on statehood
Katra: Mixing humour with political resolve, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday used the flagging-off ceremony of the first train to Kashmir by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Katra to subtly but clearly articulate his government's demand for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Recalling the opening of the Katra Railway Station -- the last programme of his first government in 2014 -- Abdullah pointed to a 'coincidence' that four people present at the event on Friday were also on stage that day. Humorously pointing out the differing career trajectories of the persons involved, Abdullah said, 'You (Narendra Modi) became the Prime Minister for the first time then... You came here right after the election. And by the grace of God, you inaugurated the Katra Railway Station here. 'After that, you won the election twice in a row and remained the Prime Minister of this country. Your minister of state in the PMO, Jitendra Singh, was also present... Even our respected Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who was the minister of state for railways at that time, was present.' Referring to his own position, Abdullah said, 'And I, as the chief minister of a full-fledged state then, stand slightly demoted. I was the chief minister of a state. Now I am the chief minister of a union territory.' 'But I believe that it will not take long for this to be corrected. And with your help, Jammu and Kashmir will again attain the status of a state,' Abdullah added. The chief minister's direct plea for the restoration of statehood was met with applause by the large gathering. The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into two union territories – J-K and Ladakh – following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. During his speech at the inauguration of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link, Abdullah reflected on the significant passage of time since the project's inception in early 1980s. 'I was an eighth-grade student when this project was started. Today, I am 55 years old. My children have also completed college. Now this project has been completed,' he said, pointing at the decades-long journey of the railway link between Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country. He also underscored the historical significance of the railway link, noting that even the British envisioned connecting Kashmir by rail via Uri and Jhelum, but failed to realise the dream. 'But today, what the British could not fulfil, has been fulfilled by your hands. The Kashmir Valley has been connected with other parts of the country,' Abdullah said, commending the Centre's achievement. Remembering former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Abdullah said, 'I will be making a huge mistake if I do not thank Vajpayee ji on this occasion... This happened after he gave it the status of a project of national importance and made it a part of the Budget.' Abdullah also highlighted the immense benefits the railway project would bring to Jammu and Kashmir. 'Jammu and Kashmir will benefit a lot with this project. It will benefit from tourism. It will benefit the residents of Jammu and Kashmir,' he said. The chief minister also specifically mentioned the inflated airfares during highway closures. 'When the highway closes as soon as it rains, the airlines start looting us. A ticket for Rs 5,000 suddenly costs Rs 20,000 within hours. But with the completion of the rail link, at least the loot of the passengers will be reduced now.' Abdullah further expressed hope that the railway line would also help facilitate the transportation of fruits like apples and cherries to markets across the country. Acknowledging the development of broader infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir by the Centre, Abdullah said, 'With your auspicious hands, another infrastructure project has been completed in Jammu and Kashmir. Similarly, many other projects are moving forward rapidly.' He also cited the ongoing work on various projects in Jammu and Kashmir, including ring roads in Jammu and Srinagar, the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway, Jammu-Srinagar four-laning, and airport and railway network expansions.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
North Korea internet hit by a major outage, analyst says
North Korea is grappling with a significant internet outage, impacting key websites like its main news outlets and the Foreign Ministry. A UK-based researcher suggests the disruption, affecting all internet routes, appears to be internal rather than a cyberattack. The country's entire internet infrastructure is currently undetectable by monitoring systems, raising questions about the cause. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads North Korea's internet is experiencing a major outage on Saturday, said a UK-based researcher, adding that the cause may be may be internal rather than a cyberattack North Korea's main news web sites and its Foreign Ministry internet site were inaccessible on Saturday morning, according to checks by Reuters."A major outage is currently occurring on North Korea's internet - affecting all routes whether they come in via China or Russia," said Junade Ali, a U.K.-based researcher who monitors the North Korean Korea's entire internet infrastructure is not showing up on systems that can monitor internet activities, he said."Hard to say if this is intentional or accidental - but seems like this is internal rather than an attack," he at South Korea 's Police cyber terror response centre which monitors North Korea's cyber activities could not be reached for comment.
