Expert reveals Earl Spencer reaction on Prince Harry's name change idea

Prince Harry reportedly asked his uncle, Earl Charles Spencer, for advice about changing his surname from Mountbatten-Windsor to Spencer, his mother Princess Diana’s maiden name.

According to royal commentator Charlotte Griffiths, the Mountbatten-Windsor name is very important to the royal family.

Hence, sharing his reaction to Harry’s request, the expert said Earl Spencer advised the Duke of Sussex against his idea.

Griffiths said he told Harry that the idea was “madness,” legally complicated, and advised him not to go through with it.

"He wanted to change his name to Spencer, and he approached his uncle and said 'I want to drop the Mountbatten-Windsor name', which was the name inherited from the Queen and Prince Philip,” she told People's Channel.

"It means a lot to the Royal Family, that surname, but he for some reason wants to get rid of it.

"And he asked his uncle, and his uncle very wisely said 'this is a terrible idea, it's legally fraught, just don't do it. This is for the birds and this is madness,’” she added.

She further cited a theory by royal author Tom Bower that Meghan Markle might want to change the surname of her kids, especially her daughter, Princess Lilibet, because she wants “to be closer to Diana.”

She then said that there does not seem to be any other reason that the Sussexes "suddenly want to become Spencer.”

"It does make sense because I can't think of another reason why you'd want to suddenly become a Spencer,” she noted.

“It's quite a serious title, Mountbatten-Windsor, it makes you very closely associated with the Royal Family. It would really hurt his father's feelings."

"Mountbatten-Windsor is Archie and Lilibet's surname. Lilibet's full name is Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, so if her surname was Spencer, it would become Lilibet Diana Spencer.

"So one wonders whether she quite wanted her daughter to be sort of known as Diana Spencer, the new Princess of Wales."