Meghan Markle Ditched Her Last Name in Order to Use Sussex — Here's Why

When it comes to surnames in England, few are as important to the Royal family as the regnal name chosen for a couple by the current monarch. This is the royal name used by a member of the monarchy and can be either their own, or a new name. According to The Independent, Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Albert Edward, chose to use the regnal name of King Edward VII. When Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne, she chose her own name. Her son did the same.

In May 2018, Prince Harry of Wales married Meghan Markle. In the hours leading up to their wedding, Queen Elizabeth II chose the regnal names of Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Almost three years later, Harry and Meghan confirmed they would be stepping away from their Royal duties. Does this mean Meghan Markle had to change her legal name again?

In her long-awaited Netflix show With Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex talks about what's in a name. While chatting with friend and guest Mindy Kaling, the Never Have I Ever creator mistakenly said Meghan Markle. "It’s so funny that you keep saying 'Meghan Markle,'" she said to Mindy. "You know I’m Sussex now." Like many of us, Mindy clearly wasn't sure what Meghan's legal name was.

Regarding her regnal name, Meghan said it was important for her to have the same last name as her family. Archie and Lilibet were first publicly called Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex in March 2023 while announcing Lili’s christening. After having kids, Meghan explained to Mindy that sharing her name with her children had meaning, saying it meant a lot to say, "This is our family name, our little family name."

Before Meghan met Harry, she was running a lifestyle blog called The Tig. It focused on food, travel, and wellness, and was years ahead of its time. After she and Harry got more serious, Meghan shut the blog down in April 2017, per People. After close to three beautiful years on this adventure with you, it’s time to say goodbye to The Tig," she wrote in her final post. "You’ve made my days brighter and filled this experience with so much joy."

Meghan told People that while she loved The Tig, she loved Harry more and did not regret that decision. Now that it's been nearly a decade, Meghan is returning to those roots with her Netflix series. "My husband met me when I had The Tig, and I see this spark in his eye when he sees me doing the thing that I was doing when he first met me," she explained.

Unlike her blog, the show feels more like hanging out. Meghan will make a recipe then invite the crew to try it. "It ended up feeling so communal, and that’s the spirit of the show," said Meghan. She emphasized that the point of the series is not to promote the life of a tradwife. "The series is about doing what you can do," she said, "and doing it with love."