Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, reportedly introduces himself to strangers simply as “Harry,” avoiding his royal titles. The revelation came from the prince himself during an appearance on Masterclass, where he was asked how he introduces himself to someone who has never met him.
With a smile, the duke answered: “Hi, I’m Harry.” This response suggests that Harry does not use his royal title when meeting new people, despite being the son of King Charles and holding the title Duke of Sussex.
Preference for a Casual Name
This is not the only time Harry has indicated a preference for being called simply “Harry.” Earlier this year, when appearing on former England rugby star Joe Marler's We'll See You Now podcast, Harry was introduced by his full legal name, “Henry Charles Albert David.” However, when asked if his name could be shortened, the prince revealed what he likes to be called.
He said: “Harry.” The hosts then joked about shortening his name further to “H,” which is believed to be what Harry’s wife Meghan Markle calls him. Harry said “that’s great” on the podcast when Marler said he will call the duke either Harry or “just H.”
Name Not on Birth Certificate
While Harry likes to be called Harry, the prince has said before that this is not actually his real name. His first name is Henry. In a funny admission, Harry once said that he doesn’t know why he has always been called Harry as opposed to Henry - the name on his birth certificate.
A few years ago, the Duke spoke about this at the WellChild Awards. He said: “My name is Henry, but everyone calls me Harry. I have no idea.”
Harry is not the only one in his family using a first name that is not on his birth certificate. Meghan’s first name is actually Rachel, while Meghan - the name she is famously called now - is her middle name. The Duchess has never revealed why she uses her middle name as her first name, but it is believed to be something she has done ever since she entered the public eye as an actress.
