Meghan Markle says that’s no longer her last name. Here’s why
On March 4, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix show, “With Love, Meghan,” premiered on the streaming platform.
One of her many guests on the reality show was none other than actress, writer and producer Mindy Kaling.
During their time together, Meghan corrected Kaling, who called her Meghan Markle, her maiden name.
“It’s so funny you keep saying Markle,” Meghan said to Kaling. “You know it’s Sussex now.”
After marrying Prince Harry in 2018, both Harry and Meghan were given the titles, Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Meghan explained to Kaling why it was important for her to take her new last name.
“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 explained.
Meghan reiterated that sentiment in a March 3 interview with People. “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,” the Duchess continued.
“It means a lot to me,” she said, adding that Sussex is also “part of our love story.”
In addition to Sussex, their children also use the last name Mountbatten-Windsor, which is the surname “used by some descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip,” debuted in 1960.
“The Queen’s descendants, other than those with the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince/Princess or female descendants who marry, would carry the name of Mountbatten-Windsor,” the royal website explains.
In the same interview with People, Meghan opened up about the decision to shut down her first lifestyle brand and blog, “The Tig,” prior to marrying Prince Harry.
“Well, I loved The Tig, but I certainly love my husband more,” she says. “So that was a choice I made at the time, and I wouldn’t change that for a second.”
Now, after leaving the royal family in 2020, she’s getting a second chance at sharing her passions with the world.
“My husband met me when I had The Tig,” she continued, “and I see this spark in his eye when he sees me doing the thing that I was doing when he first met me.”