Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s desire to step down as senior royals received the green light from Queen Elizabeth II following crisis talks at Sandringham on Monday. The Queen has given the couple a few days to reach final decisions about their future which could include whether they will continue to be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Meghan and Prince Harry have outlined their wish to be “financially independent” in future and are expected to do business under their Sussex Royal brand seeing as they trademarked the name last March.

However, there is still a chance they could lose their Duke and Duchess of Sussex status as they distance themselves from the central Royal Family.

If this happens then the couple will have to find themselves a new name to go by.

While Harry and Meghan are expected to pursue new areas of revenue they may be prevented from taking some jobs due to royal code of behaviour.

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What is Prince Harry’s surname?

Princes and Princesses do not technically have surnames as they rarely need to use them.

However, we know Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William’s children go as George and Charlotte Cambridge at school.

Meghan and Harry’s son baby Archie uses the default surname reserved for male-line descendants of the Queen without official titles – Mountbatten-Windsor.

The Mountbatten-Windsor name originates from Prince Philip who was initially prevented from passing on his Germanic surname to his own children at a time when painful memories of WW2 were still alive in the minds of the British public.

While the Duke of Edinburgh was understood to have been deeply hurt by the blow a Privy Council declaration in 1960 changed this.

Since then, all male-line descendants of the Queen without royal styles and titles, including Archie Harrison have taken up the Mountbatten-Windsor surname.

Some with titles, including Prince William, have used the surname when one was required.

As Prince Harry finds himself in need of a surname in future he is likely to honour his grandfather Prince Philip by taking the Mountbatten-Windsor surname.

Meghan’s success as an actress before marrying Prince Harry means she is likely to still use her maiden name, Markle if she ever needs it.

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The Queen expressed her support for the couple while admitting their decision was not without regret.

In a statement issued via Buckingham Palace following the talks, the Queen said: “Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family.

“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family.

“Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.”

She added: “Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives.

“It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK.

“These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”

Meghan Markle was in Canada with baby Archie during yesterday’s royal summit and it has been confirmed she did not join the talks via phone.

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