Prince Harry demands to be called 'Harry' in 'nod to the future'

Prince Harry is demanding people refer to him simply as "Harry", more than a month before he and Meghan Markle officially step back as senior royals. 

The March 31 Megxit date is fast approaching, with the Prince back in the United Kingdom for their final set of engagements before they transition to independence and officially move part-time to North America.

Already, the pair have been taking jabs at the monarchy and their relatives, including with an extraordinary statement last week where they pointed out that the Queen doesn't own the word "royal". 

On Wednesday, at a Scottish conference for a sustainable tourism project he founded, Travalyst, the host told delegates the sixth-in-line for the throne had a demand.

"He's made it clear that we are all just to call him Harry. So ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, warm, Scottish welcome to Harry," said Ayesha Hazarika. 

Typically, the Duke of Sussex would be introduced as His Royal Highness Prince Harry, but giving up his royal title was part of the Megxit deal. 

"When I was introduced to him I was a bit worried about what I should say, what were the right things, and he was no, very relaxed, and just [said] 'Harry, just call me Harry'. And that's very much the spirit of how he wanted it the event today," Hazarika later said about the moment, according to the Daily Mail.

"He doesn't need a title. He is such a global figure now, he is recognisable all around the world. People know what he and his wife stand for, the causes they are passionate about. I think this is probably a nod to the future."

Speaking at the event, Prince Harry said Scotland was among the countries leading the way in making travel greener. 

"We want to hear truths and perspectives from across the industry… We don't need to reinvent the wheel, a lot of great work has already been done. But our research again shows that many of these endeavours have failed to reach the conscientiousness of consumers.

"We have to work together… to scale up the good practices already being used around the world. Scotland is a great example of what we mean. There is a holistic ambition to Scotland's intent that can be adopted across the UK and even around the world."

Travalyst is a coalition of organisations like TripAdvisor, Visa, and Skyscanner, led by Prince Harry. It is looking for ways to ensure travel remains sustainable and "protects both people and places". The website continues to refer to Harry as "HRH" (His Royal Highness).