Meghan Markle has revealed her real legal name.

Meghan Markle has commented for the first time on the controversy surrounding her last name, saying that she now prefers to be known as Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

The topic came up after her correction by actress Mindy Kaling, star of the TV series The Office. In the first season of the show “With Love”, Meghan Kaling referred to her as “Meghan Markle”, but the Duchess emphasized that her last name is actually “Sussex”. This comment sparked a wave of discussion on social media, as it is known that Meghan has only visited Sussex County once and did not have an official surname as a member of the royal family.

Fans of the royal family claimed that her last name should be Mountbatten-Windsor. However, in an interview with TV presenter Emily, Meghan clarified:

“My legal name is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. But we use “Sussex” as a family name, and our children have this name. After the wedding, that’s what they started calling me. I formally changed my last name, but for many people it’s an unusual option, because it doesn’t fit into the traditional framework.” Meghan added, “I realized that no matter what they call me, I remain myself. My name doesn’t define me – and perhaps that’s the main difference.” Let’s recall that in 2018, Queen Elizabeth II granted Prince Harry and his wife the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex. However, during all this time, the couple visited the county only once, spending several hours there.

In 2020, Harry and Meghan refused to perform their official duties and moved to California, sparking discussions about stripping them of their titles. According to royal protocol, members of the dynasty are not entitled to a last name; instead, they use a title. Therefore, the legal name of Harry’s wife is “Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.” Their children – Archie and Lilibet – received the right to bear the titles of prince and princess after the death of the Queen.

In a conversation with Emily, Meghan also touched on the topic of the contradiction between the image of an “ordinary woman” and the status of a duchess. She noted that now she can remain herself, but during her time at court, she had to obey strict rules, including the mandatory wearing of flesh-colored tights. Earlier, the Duchess said that for the sake of her new role, she had to give up her personal blog, The Tig (it was closed in the spring of 2017, shortly before the engagement).

When asked about her political views, Meghan answered evasively. She emphasized that since 2016, she has not spoken publicly on this topic, although before meeting Harry, she called Donald Trump a “sexist” and a “divisive figure” for female voters.

After leaving the active members of the monarchy, Meghan no longer returned to the UK. Her last visit took place in September 2022, when the Queen died. Prince Harry later admitted that he considers the country unsafe for his wife and children and does not plan to return to live there.