Prince Harry’s surprising act would make Prince Philip ‘turn in his grave’

A royal biographer has made a shocking claim about Prince Harry’s latest controversial act.

Prince Harry speaks about his mental health struggles as part of a docuseries he co-produced with Oprah Winfrey. Picture: Supplied

Prince Philip would have been “turning in his grave” after finding out Prince Harry had decided to change the last name of his children, claims a royal biographer.

Decades ago, Philip was said to be disheartened after he discovered his children would not have his last name, Mountbatten, when his wife, Elizabeth, became Queen in 1952.

Prince Philip fought hard back in the 1950s to have his name recognised among the royals. Picture from AFP PHOTO / JOHN STILLWELL / WPA POOL.

However, after much discussion, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the Queen’s private secretary Tommy Lascelles came up with a solution to name the male descendants “Mountbatten-Windsor” in a bid to appease Philip.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, had been known as Mountbatten-Windsor previously.

However, the youngsters have now been given the surname Sussex.

Writing in the Daily Mail, biographer Ingrid Seward said: “How sad, therefore, that only three generations later, Harry should so blatantly disregard his grandfather’s wishes and effectively abandon the family name for which Philip had fought.”

She went on to claim that the drama surrounding Harry’s decision to change their names would have left his grandfather “turning in his grave”.

Archie and Lilibet’s new surname was first announced on Meghan and Harry’s controversial new website.

Meanwhile, much attention has been paid to the language used within the updated website.

The prince’s profile details his 10-year military career, his charities and his memoir Spare, but nothing about being fifth in line to the throne. Meanwhile, Meghan’s profile focuses on her philanthropy, her career in the entertainment industry, her role in the TV series Suits and her work as an author.

Prince Harry’s new website has sparked criticism among many royal followers. Picture: Supplied

The website, which has faced fierce criticism since launching, was designed by Article, a Canadian digital agency that Meghan previously used to build her lifestyle blog The Tig and Archewell.

In a statement over the weekend, the duchess wrote: “There is a reason I have worked with Ryan and the talented team at Article for a decade: their attention to detail, their creativity and care, and the thoughtful approach to design as well as to the user experience. They’re not just designers; they are collaborators who elevate your ideas into visual identities. They’re a very special company. Plus they’re Canadian, so I’m a fan.”

Royal expert Angela Levin dubbed the couple “pathetic” for using the royal coat of arms on their new website.

She told The Sun: “They are cashing in on their royal connections that they say they hate so much.

“Queen Elizabeth II would be furious because they promised they wouldn’t do that.

“They should be stopped from using a title that they spent years insulting.”