Meghan Markle’s ‘pointed remark’ on new ‘confusing’ surname speaks volumes

Meghan Markle’s Netflix show has certainly raised eyebrows – not least because of the declaration about her surname.

The show, called With Love, Meghan, has faced savage criticism for its cooking and hosting tips – but in one telling moment with pal Mindy Kaling, the Duchess of Sussex corrects the actress regarding her name.

As the pair discuss fast food in the second episode, Mindy says: “People wouldn’t believe that Meghan Markle ate at Jack in the Box.” To which Meghan replies: “It’s so funny, too, that you keep saying Meghan Markle. You know I’m Sussex now. You have kids, and you go, ‘now 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 name’.”

Meghan also doubled down on the name in an interview with PEOPLE magazine saying how meaningful the name Sussex was to her, while in an upcoming chat on the Drew Barrymore Show, Meghan is referred to as ‘Meghan Sussex’. And according to royal expert Jennie Bond, the moment she interrupted Mindy in the Netflix show was a very telling moment.

The former BBC royal correspondent told the Mirror : “I thought it was rather a pointed remark to make so publicly to a friend – she could have just halted the filming for a moment and privately corrected her guest. But she makes a fair argument: that some women feel it’s important for the family to have a shared surname.

“As it happens, I don’t. I’ve never understood why a woman should be expected to change her name just because she marries. But I’m probably in the minority.” Jennie explained that despite some arguing that Meghan should not use the Sussex name, she is entitled to do so – and is actually carrying on a long-standing royal tradition.

She added: “She’s perfectly entitled to use the name Sussex, just as other royal brides have adopted part of their titles as a surname, for example, Sophie Wessex. It’s all rather confusing really, especially as titles change, either when someone dies or a new title is bestowed.

“The official royal surname for the late Queen’s descendants is Mountbatten-Windsor. But Prince George and his siblings were actually called Cambridge at school, and now Wales. Harry and William adopted the surname Wales in their military careers.

“So Meghan is quite within her rights to adopt a married name of Sussex and also use this for the children. I don’t think she’s particularly trying to cling to her royal connections – more that she is celebrating the bond with her husband and children.”

The late Queen granted Harry and Meghan the titles Duke and Duchess of Sussex following their wedding in 2018. Before Harry’s father Charles becoming King, their children Archie and Lilibet used Mountbatten-Windsor as their last name – but when he ascended to the throne, they became Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex. Now, informally, they go by Archie Sussex and Lilibet Sussex.

“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,” Meghan told People. “I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me.

“I think as the kids get older, they’re so excited about, ‘Oh my gosh, Mama and Papa, how did you meet?’ I think that will come with time as they get older, but for right now a huge part of our love story is that we share the name Sussex.”

Source: Mirror