What is Prince Harry's real name and why does William call him Harold?

5 January 2023, 12:21

By Alice Dear

What is Prince Harry's real name? Everything you need to know.

Prince Harry, 38, has made headlines this week after a leaked extract from his upcoming book, Spare, reveals claims from the Duke of Sussex that his brother, Prince William, physically assaulted him.

Meghan Markle's husband details the row which took place in Nottingham Cottage in 2019, where Harry claims that the Prince of Wales "grabbed him by the collar", "ripped his necklace" and "knocked him to the floor".

In the extract from the book, published by The Guardian, Harry also says that William calls him Harold, leading many people to question what the Prince's real name is and why William has this nickname for his brother.

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Here's everything you need to know.

What is Prince Harry's real name?

Prince Harry's real name is Henry Charles Albert David.

Why is Prince Harry called Harry if his name is Henry?

Prince Harry was born on 15th September 1984 to King Charles III and the late Princess Diana.

At the time, the couple announced that Prince Henry would be his official title but that he would be known as Harry to his family and friends.

Over time, Henry was replaced with Harry, which is a common nickname for people with the moniker Henry.

Why does Prince William called Prince Harry Harold?

In the leaked extract from Harry's book, Spare, the Duke of Sussex – in the claims that William attacked him – reveals that his older brother calls him Harold.

Following the alleged incident, in which Harry claims William "grabbed him by the collar", "ripped his necklace" and "knocked him to the floor", the Prince writes that William referred to him as Harold.

In the extract, Harry writes that William said to him: "You don’t need to tell Meg about this", to which he replied: “You mean that you attacked me?"

To this, William allegedly said: “I didn’t attack you, Harold.”

So where does the name Harold come from?

It is not clear why William calls his brother Harold, however, we can guess that it comes from the fact that Harry is a nickname for the moniker Harold.

However, this doesn't make much sense if you keep in mind that Harry's real name is not Harold but Henry.

Read more:

• Prince Harry says he 'wants his father and brother' back in new interview
• Meghan Markle details 'jarring' moment she first met William and Kate
• Prince Harry and Prince William feud: Complete timeline of what happened