The Duke of Sussex celebrated his birthday recently and while most of the cards will no doubt have been addressed to 'Harry'', this isn't actually his real name.
When Harry returns to the UK later this month, he'll carry his passport bearing the name 'Henry'. Born in 1984, the prince was christened Henry Charles Albert David, but Harry's parents, then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana, shared that their younger child would be known by the diminutive form of his first name, Harry.
It is traditional that royal names are ones that have been in the family for generations. Henry was a very popular name back in the Tudor times, with one of the most notable examples being King Henry VIII.
In Harry's case, however, 'Henry' was mostly just used by Charles and Diana – and then only when the young royal would get himself into trouble.
© Tim GrahamIt's also used on formal occasions, including when the late Queen gave her consent for the Duke to marry his wife, Meghan Markle.
© Antony Jones/Julian ParkerHarry's middle names also carry significance, with Charles referencing his father, and two other British monarchs, while Albert was the name of Queen Victoria's husband. David, meanwhile, was a moniker King Edward VIII was given by his family.
Albert was apparently Charles's first choice of name for his younger child. In his memoir, Spare, Harry writes that his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, adored Queen Victoria and his father wanted to call him Albert (which was also the given name of the late Queen's father, King George VI,) – but it was vetoed by Diana.
© Lisa SheridanHarry's parents also disagreed over the naming of their elder son, Prince William, with Charles favouring the name Arthur. However, Diana reportedly wanted the more "robust" name of William for her son. In the same way that Albert is one of Harry's middle names, Arthur is one of William's.
As Harry revealed in his memoir, he has another nickname courtesy of his big brother, who dubbed him 'Harold'.
