Prince Harry ditches royal title: Slip of tongue or dig at future monarch William

Prince Harry has been embroiled in a new controversy after being called by a surprising title at the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship in Aspen.

The announcer left everyone in shock as he introduced King Charles III's youngest son as 'Harry Wales' with no mention of his royal title, the Duke of Sussex.

The announcment sparked reactions, with some people calling it a big deal because 'Wales' is traditionally associated with his elder brother William, who is the Prince of Wales.

It might be a mistake as the announcer got it wrong. Interestingly, "Wales" was actually Harry's surname when he was younger, and he used it during his military service.

Some began to speculate the Duke had ditched his royal title and used old name in 'act of rebellion'. Meanwhile, others went on commenting that it was an act of mocking the future king.

It is to mention here that Harry was born Prince Henry of Wales in 1984, but was given the Duke of Sussex title by his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, when he married Meghan in 2018.

However, the children were both called 'Mountbatten-Windsor' on their birth certificates, as was Harry, whose name at birth was Henry Charles Albert David Mountbatten-Windsor. 

Royal commentator Tom Sykes believes the fact he has gone by the name 'Wales' will be "interpreted in some quarters as a statement of domestic rebellion and personal independence," after the fuss Meghan made over her name.

Alternatively, he may have been preparing for when his brother ascends to the throne. William is widely expected to strip Harry and Meghan of their royal titles when he becomes king.

Undoubtedly, Harry's name got mixed up by the announcer. A spokesperson for him even cleared the air, said it was just a mistake.

Apparently, there's no big conspiracy, just a slip-up, but the footage of the introduction quickly went viral, triggering a wave of backlash from royal commentators and fans alike, with one saying: “He’s no longer Wales!!!”

Another commented: “He was Wales before — when he was the son of the Prince of Wales. Time has moved on. He’s Sussex now, but clearly stuck in the past.”

A third added: “William and Catherine’s children are Wales. Harry is not one of them.”