Prince Harry's Real Name Has a Unique Backstory That Not Many Know About

Prince Henry Charles Albert David, better known as Prince Harry, was born in London on September 15, 1984. According to the UK Mirror, his original name 'Henry' is said to be picked by the late Princess Diana, while Albert and David have traditionally been used by royalty, the Charles in his middle name is a clear reference to his father. Harry once mentioned his true name with the 2022 WellChild Awards recipients in a video conference. Addressing a young child named Henry, the Duke of Sussex explained: "My name is Henry as well. But everyone calls me Harry. I have no idea why." 

However, in 2020 the Duke requested the organizers of an event to simply refer to him as “Harry”. As per Harper's Bazaar, Harry was invited to speak at the Travalyst sustainable tourism summit in Edinburgh. "He's made it clear that we are all just to call him Harry," Ayesha Hazarika, the event host revealed."So, ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, warm, Scottish welcome to Harry." It was the first of his final royal duties before he and  Meghan Markle moved on to life beyond royalty.

Following the announcement of their decision to resign as senior members of the royal family, the couple no longer use HRH titles in public and are not allowed to use the word "royal" for independent branding outside of the monarchy. Coming back to his original name, during the Tudor era, Henry was a relatively common name; King Henry VIII is among the most famous examples. In the Duke's case, however, 'Henry' was largely just used by his parents Charles and Diana. Additionally, it is used during official events, such as when the late Queen approved of the Duke's marriage to Markle.

As reported by Hola Magazine, Prince Harry's middle names have an impressive history, Queen Victoria's husband's name was Albert and King Edward VIII's relatives gave him the nickname David. King Charles had planned to name him Albert but Princess Diana didn't like the idea. The Duke disclosed in his biography Spare that Queen Elizabeth II, his grandmother, also adored the name Albert because it was connected to her father, King George VI.

The naming of Harry's older brother, Prince William, was another point of contention between his parents; Charles preferred the name Arthur. Diana, on the other hand, is said to have preferred William as her son's more "robust" moniker. Arthur is one of William's middle names. In his memoir, Harry also revealed that his older brother gave him the nickname "Harold." As per the Daily Mail, "Henry, no!" was a common way Diana would reprimand the Duke when he was involved in mischief, according to former police bodyguard Ken Wharfe. His nanny called him 'Kamikaze Harry' because of how often he would act out. Prince Charles's great-uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, who passed away in 1974, was the closest other relative with the name Henry.