Meghan Markle’s recent comments about her last name have ignited an online debate over royal naming conventions.
The Duchess of Sussex playfully corrected actress Mindy Kaling during an episode of her new Netflix series With Love, Meghan, which premiered on March 4, after Kaling repeatedly referred to her by her maiden name.
Meghan’s response, asserting “Sussex” as her last name, led to widespread discussion and confusion regarding the surnames of British royals.
The royal family traditionally does not use last names in the same way as commoners, prompting immediate backlash from royal watchers.
Many argued that Meghan’s statement misunderstood royal customs, while others supported her decision.
The debate highlights the ongoing public scrutiny surrounding Meghan and Prince Harry’s decisions post-Megxit.
‘Megan Sussex’ sparks confusion about the naming conventions
Megan’s declaration about her family name led to criticism and confusion about the royal family’s naming convention.
One critic took to social media to clarify, writing, “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.”
The X continues claiming that in the UK, working royals often use their titles as informal surnames for convenience, particularly when their children are in school.
The royalist continued to argue that Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are referred to as Wales in school, though it is not their official last name.
The X also references that Princess Diana never used “Diana Wales” as her surname.
Others pointed out that only blood royals are traditionally given the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.
“Technically, I believe only blood royals can be called Mountbatten-Windsor. Her name is Rachel Meghan Markle or Princess Harry. Harry and the kids’ names carry the Mountbatten-Windsor surname,” another social media user argued.
Most observers believed the British Royal family used Mountbatten-Windsor; however, this does not appear to be the case.
Meghan explains why she changed her surname on With Love
According to E! News, Queen Elizabeth II granted Prince Harry and Meghan the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex when they wed in 2018, and the couple subsequently adopted Sussex as their last name.
Similarly, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children—Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6—took the surname Wales after their parents became the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2022.
Meghan defended her choice to use Sussex as her last name, explaining her reasoning to Kaling on the show.
“You have kids, and you go, ‘No, I should share my name with my children,'” she said. “I didn’t know how meaningful it would be to me, but it just means so much to go, ‘This is our family name.'”
The British monarchy states that royal family members who do not have an official last name use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor when one is required, such as on marriage certificates or legal documents.
Prince William does not typically use a surname, but he opts for Wales or Mountbatten-Windsor when needed. In contrast, his children previously used Cambridge when their father was Duke of Cambridge.
Whether Meghan has legally changed her last name to Sussex remains unverified, but she seemingly implies that she has done so.
With Love, Meghan is streaming on Netflix.