In a surprising twist, the Duchess of Sussex has adopted ”Sussex” as her new last name, following suit with her husband, Prince Harry, and their children, Archie and Lilibet.
A new name
Meghan Markle’s new Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, is making waves, not just for its lifestyle tips but also for reigniting discussions about royal names and branding. The Duchess of Sussex raised eyebrows on the show when she revealed that “Sussex” is now her last name. But does this departure from tradition challenge royal conventions?
This whole story began when Meghan Markle corrected Mindy Kaling on her new show, With Love, Meghan, after Kaling referred to the duchess by her maiden name. ”It’s so funny you keep saying Markle,” Meghan said.
”You know it’s Sussex now. You have kids and you go, I share my name with my children. I didn’t know how meaningful it would be to me, but it just means so much to go, this is our family name. Our little family now.”
Meghan shared a similar sentiment in a recent interview with People.
She and Harry were given the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex by the late Queen Elizabeth II when they married. According to the Royal Family’s official website, their children’s titles are Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.
Meghan explained, ”It’s our shared name as a family, and I guess I hadn’t recognized how meaningful that would be to me until we had children. I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H, and I all have together. It means a lot to me.”
Meghan described the Sussex name as ”a part of our love story.”
So far, it seems that Meghan has used ”Sussex” as her last name in more informal settings, such as when she spoke with Mindy Kaling and on The Drew Barrymore Show. When she appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show to talk about her new projects on March 6, Drew Barrymore introduced her guest by referring to her as ”Meghan Sussex.”
”This is the Fast Five with Meghan Sussex,” Barrymore said, kicking off the segment.
Why its raising eyebrows
Although the former Suits star is still formally known as the Duchess of Sussex, this marked the first time she was publicly addressed as ”Meghan Sussex.” The name change, however, hasn’t come without criticism from royal fans. Meghan’s decision to adopt Sussex as her surname has raised eyebrows, with many questioning it due to her limited ties to the county. Some have even suggested that her proper last name should be ”Mountbatten-Windsor.”
One royal fan remarked, “Her name is NOT Meghan Sussex. Her name is technically Rachel Mountbatten-Windsor. Sussex is a county in England & part of a courtesy title – NOT her last name.”
Another fan was surprised by how Meghan corrected her friend, saying, “So who criticizes a guest like that? And her last name is not Sussex. Wouldn’t it be Mountbatten-Windsor?”
A third commenter wrote, ”’Duchess of Sussex’ is a courtesy title she holds only through her marriage. It is not her surname, and I’m quite sure she doesn’t have ‘Meghan Sussex’ on her California driver’s license. Legally, her last name should be Mountbatten-Windsor.”
Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle, also expressed disappointment, criticizing Meghan for distancing herself from the Markle name, which he believes would upset his late mother.
He shared, “My mum loved Meghan very much but she would be so disappointed to hear that Meghan no longer wants to use the name ‘Markle.’ My mother was proud to be a Markle. So am I.”
He also took issue with Meghan’s presentation on the show, claiming she seemed inauthentic and too focused on perfection.
The couple has been estranged since 2018, after Thomas missed Meghan’s wedding. While some support Thomas, others believe his constant media presence might be why Meghan keeps her distance.
A challenge of royal conventions?
There’s no problem with Meghan using ”Meghan Sussex” as her name.
In fact, many members of the royal family use their titles as surnames. According to Debrett’s, ”The Duke and Duchess of Sussex can, and do, use ‘Sussex’ as their surname. This follows the tradition when Prince Harry used ‘Wales’ as his surname while serving in the army, reflecting his status as the son of the Prince of Wales. Now that he’s the Duke of Sussex, his wife and children are also entitled to use ‘Sussex’ as their surname.”
Given the media’s continued use of her maiden name, as seen in her feature in People, it’s likely that Meghan will still be called Meghan Markle for the foreseeable future.
Meghan’s decision to use “Sussex” as her last name has really got people talking. While some are all for it, others think it’s a bit much since her ties to the county aren’t exactly strong.
And let’s not forget about the whole “Mountbatten-Windsor” debate – there’s always something to stir the pot, isn’t there? What do you think about all this?
