EXCLUSIVE: King Charles Accused of Delaying Passports for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Kids As War Continues Over Royal Titles

Prince Harry was so frustrated over delays in his children's passports it was the reason he considered legally his mother’s surname, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

A source close to the Duke of Sussex told us: "Out of sheer exasperation he went to his uncle to effectively say: "My family are supposed to have the same name and they’re stopping that from happening because the kids are legally HRH.'

The 40-year-old royal and his wife Meghan Markle, 43, are understood to have waited nearly six months for British passports to be issued for their two children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.

According to a source close to the couple, they feared the applications were deliberately delayed by King Charles, 76, due to ongoing tensions over the use of their children's royal titles.

The applications were submitted under the surname Sussex – a shift from the children’s previous legal name, Mountbatten-Windsor.

Our source said: "There was obvious hesitation around granting the kids their passports. Charles was opposed to Archie and Lili having the titles – especially the HR– and the British passports would effectively serve as the first, and potentially only, legal recognition of those names."

Harry and Meghan agreed not to use their HRH titles following their decision to step back from royal duties in 2020.

However, as grandchildren of the monarch, Archie and Lilibet are entitled to the style of His and Her Royal Highness under royal protocol.

Buckingham Palace has since insisted no objections were made regarding the children’s documents.

Despite the palace's denial, the Sussexes reportedly encountered repeated delays.

After the standard three-week processing time passed, they were informed of a three-month hold due to unspecified "technical issues."

According to our source, the couple eventually reapplied using the UK’s 24-hour expedited passport service.

That appointment was then abruptly canceled, allegedly because of a "systems failure."

Harry and Meghan's kids' passports were issued only after legal representatives for the couple sent a letter threatening to pursue a data subject access request, which could have disclosed internal communications about the delays.

Our source claimed this move was taken as a last resort after months of stonewalling, adding: "Harry had reached a point where attempts to get British passports for his children, using their updated Sussex surnames, were being stalled with excuse after excuse."

In a private conversation, Harry is believed to have turned to his uncle Charles Spencer, 60, for guidance on whether the children could adopt the Spencer surname if official recognition of Sussex was ultimately denied.

The suggestion stemmed from a desire to maintain family unity amid bureaucratic pushback.

And the issue comes against a broader backdrop of controversy surrounding Harry and Meghan's continued use of their royal titles.

While they agreed not to use HRH commercially, Meghan has used her title privately since their move to California.

In April, a podcast host shared a photo of a gift basket bearing a note signed 'HRH The Duchess of Sussex.' prompting renewed scrutiny of her use of the title.

Palace officials are said to have believed Harry and Meghan would refrain from using the honorifics in any form "out of respect" for the monarchy.

But sources close to the couple have argued their infamous Megxit agreement only restricted commercial usage of the titles, and insisted private use remains appropriate.

When traveling abroad, the pair are said to request that the HRH styling be honored in official capacities.