What Is Meghan Markle’s Last Name? The Duchess Corrects Mindy Kaling on New Netflix Show
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been married for nearly seven years. The Duchess of Sussex met her prince through a mutual friend back in 2016, and she and Harry dated for a little more than a year before he proposed. The two have built quite a life story since then, and this whole time, the public and media have regularly referred to her as Meghan Markle.
It’s not a huge secret that Meghan’s first name isn’t Meghan (spoiler alert: It’s Rachel), but what happens when you marry a prince? The duchess clarified with friend and actor Mindy Kaling that she did not keep her maiden name.
Meghan Markle revealed that her last name is actually Sussex
The British royal family doesn’t do last names the way the rest of the Western world does. Their surnames actually change depending on their role in the royal family. For example, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s last name was Cambridge from when they got married up until Queen Elizabeth II’s death. Their formal royal titles were Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. But when William and Kate became the Prince and Princess of Wales, their “last name” changed to Wales.
It’s the same situation for Meghan and Harry. Technically, she isn’t “Meghan Sussex,” though. Rather, her official name is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. When she was a working royal, her official name was actually much longer: Her Royal Highness Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex” and her official occupation was “Princess of the United Kingdom” (though, she was never titled a princess officially).
She doesn’t have a last name as we know them, but she and Harry are “the Sussexes” in a sense. So, in her new Netflix show With Love, Meghan, the duchess confirms to Mindy Kaling that she is not legally Meghan Markle. “You know I’m Sussex now,” she says.
Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle show offers a different side of her
Meghan has always been obsessed with all things lifestyle, and With Love, Meghan gives her a chance to show that. It’s her opportunity to portray herself however she wants as opposed to how she’s portrayed by the media. On the show, she does everything from easy recipes to household crafts like candle making — she even harvests honey.
Meghan’s show has been met with mixed reviews, but it’s hard to be too bothered by it. It’s just an innocent gathering of friends who like to do crafty things. It’s unclear if the show will be renewed for a second season, but the duchess certainly seems to love this new adventure in her life.
