Royal members who are not called by their first names
You'd probably be surprised to know that Prince Harry's real and first name is not actually 'Harry' but 'Henry'. According to his birth certificate, the Sussex royal's full name is Henry Charles Albert David. When he was born, it was announced that he would be called Harry only by his family members and those in his inner circle. But gradually, everyone at Kensington Palace began referring to him with that name and it stuck.
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'No idea why'
Recently, while speaking with the winners of the WellChild Awards, he came across a child called Henry, to which he amusingly said, "My name is Henry as well, but everyone calls me Harry. I have no idea why."
But while the Duke of Sussex more popularly goes by the name of Harry, the royals actually do use the name "Henry" in formal situations.
For instance, when the official announcement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement was made, the Palace's statement read "His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and Ms. Meghan Markle Are Engaged to Be Married," as reported by Cosmopolitan.
However, it seems that the use of the nickname 'Harry' has been popular amongst those with the name 'Henry' since Medieval England. According to Metro, monarchs who had the name Henry were usually referred to as Harry by friends, which could be one of the reasons behind why Harry is called so too.
Other than Prince Harry, here are the royals who are not addressed by their real name...
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Queen Victoria's real name was Alexandrina
Most popularly known in history as Queen Victoria, she was actually born Alexandrina Victoria, a name given after her godfather Tsar Alexander I. After becoming the Queen, she was persuaded to change her last name to Victoria. However, she stood by it and even started using it as her first moniker.
King George VI's real name was Albert
Queen Elizabeth II's father, King George VI's real name was Albert Frederick Arthur George Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, which was later changed to King George, when he took the throne after his father, George V.
Image credit: Wikipedia
Kate Middleton is actually Catherine
Popularly known as Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales was born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton.
Image credit: Paolo Roversi
Meghan Markle was born Rachel Meghan Markle
Much to everyone's surprise, Meghan Markle is actually Rachel Meghan Markle. She has however been using her middle name as her first name from when she was in school. Her school yearbook photos also show her listed as 'Meghan Markle' and not 'Rachel Markle'.
Image credit: Instagram/sussexroyal/PA images
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