"Wearing bib number 1, please welcome... Harry Wales!" As he took to the ice for the St. Regis World Snow Polo charity tournament, which he participated in on December 17th and 18th with his old friend Nacho Figueras, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, was strangely introduced over the microphone by the official commentator.
"Harry Wales," or Harry of Wales in French, is the prince's former name, the one he used at school and then in the army, when his father, Charles, was still Prince of Wales. But that is, of course, no longer the case. Now, the Prince of Wales and heir to the throne is his brother, William. Consequently, it is William's children who are now called—especially at school—George Wales, Charlotte Wales, and Louis Wales.
So why did Harry choose to be called this? Is it the result of a sudden wave of nostalgia, as the holidays approach? A strange signal sent to his father, the King, and the rest of his family in England? And what does his His wife, Meghan, who stayed in California with the children, insisted so much that she is "a Sussex now," proudly explaining that "it's our surname"?
Perhaps it was simply a mistake by the American tournament organizers, for whom, even though it takes place in the most VIP of resorts, titles and protocol are often murky matters. But then, Harry would have had time to correct them before the awards ceremony, during which he was once again announced as "Harry Wales." The few regulars at the very chic Aspen Polo Club didn't seem to mind at all: they simply applauded "Harry" and his teammates for their trophy.
