Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are reportedly living in isolation in Los Angeles, California during the coronavirus pandemic. They officially stepped back as senior royals on March 31, 2020, and royal fans are eagerly awaiting news of their future plans. But in the meantime, there has been speculation about Harry and Meghan’s future use of their royal names and titles.

Many members of the Royal Family have taken the surname of Mountbatten-Windsor, in honour of the royal house of Windsor.

Mountbatten is also the name of Prince Philip’s maternal grandparents, and is the name which he adopted when he abandoned his Greek and Danish titles and became a naturalised British subject.

Mountbatten-Windsor is also the surname Harry and Meghan gave their son, baby Archie Harrison, who was born last May.

This name came about after Prince Philip insisted the Queen took his surname after their marriage, but her family refused to entertain the idea.

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Instead, the Queen was forced to give her formal approval to a proclamation in April 1952 that she and her descendants “should continue to bear the family name of Windsor”.

Philip is believed to have said to friends at the time: “Am I the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his children?”

But prior to the birth of her third child, Prince Andrew, the Queen decided her descendants – except those with HRH status – would bear the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.

Now, under a declaration made in Privy Council in 1960, the name Mountbatten-Windsor applies to male-line descendants of the Queen without royal styles and titles.

Recently it was reported that in documents registering eco-friendly tourism company, Travalyst, Harry has dropped this royal surname.

Instead of registering with Mountbatten-Windsor, Harry has simply named himself in the documents as ‘Prince Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex’.

While the move is not solid proof of a full departure from his family name, it could suggest Harry and Meghan are considering alternative surnames now they have left senior royal life behind.

This is not the first time Harry’s use of title has appeared to have changed in recent months.

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After Harry launched the Travalyst initiative in Edinburgh earlier this year, and Harry asked to be introduced just by his first name.

Before he took to the stage, host Ayesha Hazarika said: “He’s made it clear that we are all just to call him Harry.

“So ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, warm, Scottish welcome to Harry.”

For the most part, members of the Royal Family entitled to the style of HRH Prince or Princess do not need a surname.

As Meghan and Harry are no longer considered senior working royals, they have been told they can no longer use ‘royal’ in any future branding.

The couple will not be using their His and Her Royal Highness (HRH) titles either.

As a farewell from senior royal life, the couple said in an Instagram post at the end of March that they are “focusing this new chapter to understand” how they can best contribute to the global effort to beat coronavirus.

They wrote in the caption of their post: “While you may not see us here, the work continues.

“Thank you to this community – for the support, the inspiration and the shared commitment to the good in the world.

“We look forward to reconnecting with you soon. You’ve been great!

“Until then, please take good care of yourselves, and of one another.”

One particular aspect of their Instagram post is very telling about how the Duke and Duchess view their future roles within the Royal Family.

In previous Instagram posts, the couple have tended to write off with their formal titles, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

However, in their last post they opted to be much less formal, and simply signed off as Harry and Meghan.

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