
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex Diego Cuevas/Getty Photos
Is it Meghan Markle, Meghan Sussex — or one thing else fully?
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, clarified her final identify throughout a dialog with Mindy Kaling in her new Netflix docuseries, With Love, Meghan.
Within the life-style present, which premiered on Tuesday, March 4, Meghan corrected Kaling after she referred to the duchess by her maiden identify, Markle.
“It’s so humorous you retain saying Markle,” Meghan mentioned. “You already know it’s Sussex now. You’ve youngsters and also you go, I share my identify with my kids. I didn’t understand how significant it will be to me, but it surely simply means a lot to go, that is our household identify. Our little household now.”
Meghan, 43, and her husband Prince Harry share two kids: Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3. Although the couple share a final identify with their youngsters, Archie and Lilibet even have a second final identify, which they inherited from Harry’s late grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
Why Archie and Lilibet Additionally Use the Title Mountbatten-Windsor
It’s not stunning that Meghan and Harry, 40, use the final identify Sussex.
As royals with titles don’t normally have final names, they usually use their title as their household identify. For instance, when Harry and Prince William had been rising up, they used the surname Wales as a result of their mother and father had been the Prince and Princess of Wales.
When Harry and Meghan inherited the Sussex dukedom upon their marriage in 2018, their household identify grew to become Sussex.
Talking to People in an interview printed on Monday, March 3, Meghan mentioned the Sussex identify is a part of her “love story” with Harry.
“It’s our shared identify as a household, and I assume I hadn’t acknowledged how significant that may be to me till we had kids,” she informed the outlet. “I really like that that’s one thing that Archie, Lili, H and I all have collectively. It means rather a lot to me.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their son Archie in Could 2019 Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool/Getty Photos
Nevertheless, Meghan and Harry’s two kids had been born with out royal titles and solely inherited their “prince” and “princess” titles after their grandfather, King Charles III, ascended the throne on September 8, 2022.
On the time of his delivery on Could 6, 2019, Archie’s authorized identify was Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, in keeping with his delivery certificates, which was printed on-line.
Equally, Lilibet was born Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor on June 4, 2021, in keeping with her delivery certificates, which was additionally printed on-line.
Mountbatten-Windsor is a royal household identify mostly utilized by members with out HRH (His or Her Royal Highness) or prince/princess titles. The identify is a mix of “Mountbatten” from Philip’s facet, and “Windsor” from Elizabeth II’s household.
Whereas Harry and Meghan nonetheless use their titles, they stopped utilizing HRH in an official capability after stepping back from royal duties in 2020.
Meghan and Harry have by no means used the final identify Mountbatten-Windsor. On Archie’s delivery certificates, Meghan’s authorized identify was listed as Rachel Meghan Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex.
Harry’s was listed as His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex.
In the meantime, on Lilibet’s delivery certificates, Harry used the primary identify “The Duke of Sussex” and the final identify “His Royal Highness,” whereas Meghan listed her full identify as Rachel Meghan Markle.
It’s not recognized whether or not Archie and Lilibet’s names have been legally modified to mirror their new titles. Within the line of succession on the royal household’s official web site, the kids’s names are listed as “Prince Archie of Sussex” and “Princess Lilibet of Sussex.”
They’re sixth and seventh in line to the throne respectively after Harry, who’s fifth in line.