Meghan Markle’s plan to drop her maiden name and rename herself in the public eye may be a difficult feat.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, was introduced as “Meghan Sussex” during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show on Thursday, March 6.
It comes after Meghan corrected Mindy Kaling for referring to her as “Meghan Markle” during an episode of Netflix’s With Love, Meghan, which aired on Tuesday, March 4.
“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.”
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Meghan has doubled down on the name Sussex, telling People: “I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me.”
However, Meghan’s attempt to be recognized by her married name is something which other well-known royal women, such as Princess Kate Middleton, Sarah Ferguson, and Queen Camilla, have mostly been unable to achieve.
Scroll down for Us Weekly’s analysis on the attempted rebrand, the subsequent reaction, and why Meghan may struggle to distance herself from the name Markle.
Meghan Markle Faced Mixed Reaction For Using the Name Sussex
Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, were given the titles Duke and Duchess of Sussex by Queen Elizabeth II when they got married in 2018.
Members of the royal family with titles usually do not have last names, which means they use their title as a last name when it’s legally or officially required.
However, members who do not have titles use the last name Mountbatten-Windsor, which originates from Harry’s royal grandparents: “Mountbatten” on Prince Philip’s side and “Windsor” on Elizabeth II’s side.
Meghan and Harry stopped using their HRH (His or Her Royal Highness) titles after stepping back from royal duties in 2020. However, they continue to use the “duke” and “duchess” titles.
Meghan’s decision to use Sussex instead of Mountbatten-Windsor has prompted backlash from commentators on social media, who questioned why she is able to use the title when she is no longer a senior working member of the royal family.
Marlene Koenig, a royal historian and expert on British and European royalty, told Us: “The one thing that they should have done is agree to not use the titles in business.”
Koenig said using the Sussex titles while partaking in humanitarian work, for example, visiting L.A. wildfire victims, may cause confusion.
“There’s nothing wrong with them doing that, but who are they representing is the question. They’re not representing the sovereign,” Koenig noted. “And there is some criticism for that, and it’s something that should have been carefully thought out.”
However, it is worth noting that it is common for even non-working royals born with titles to use them as last names when required.
For example, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, sometimes used York as a last name before their respective marriages.
Kate Middleton Can’t Shake Her Maiden Name
Even though Meghan isn’t technically wrong to use the name Sussex, it is unlikely to stick.
Since Meghan announced the rebrand, the duchess is still being called “Meghan Markle” by the press and social media commentators.
Similarly, her sister-in-law Kate Middleton is unable to shake her maiden name almost 14 years after marrying into the royal family. The press and the public also know her by her nickname, “Kate,” even though Prince William publicly refers to his wife as “Catherine.”
Queen Camilla, Sarah Ferguson Have Had Similar Maiden-Name Challenges
Similarly, Camilla was still called Camilla Parker-Bowles by members of the press up until her husband, King Charles III, ascended the throne in September 2022.
Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, is mostly known by her maiden name and the nickname “Fergie” even though she was allowed to keep her Duchess of York title when they divorced in 1996.
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Speaking to The Sunday Times in December 2024, Sarah revealed that King Charles still refers to her by the quirky nickname.
“I’ve known the King all my life and I absolutely adore him,” Ferguson said. “He’s kind and makes me laugh, and I love that he still calls me Fergie.”
