In Meghan Markle’s new Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex opened up about her surname and why she now embraces “Sussex” as her family name.
During episode two of the show, actress Mindy Kaling referred to Meghan by her maiden name, prompting the Duchess to correct her: “You keep saying, Meghan Markle, you know, I’m Sussex now.”
She went on to explain: “You have kids, and you go, ‘Now I share my name with my children.’ I didn’t realize how meaningful that would be to me, but it just means so much to say, ‘This is our family name, our little family name.’”
How Archie and Lilibet’s Surnames Changed
When Prince Archie was born in May 2019, his full name was listed as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor on his birth certificate.
The name “Mountbatten-Windsor” is traditionally used by male-line descendants of Queen Elizabeth II who do not hold royal titles, which is why Lady Louise, the daughter of Prince Edward, also carries the name.
At the time, Buckingham Palace announced that Archie would not receive a title and would be known as Master Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
However, following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and King Charles III’s accession to the throne, Archie and Lilibet, as children of the monarch’s son, became entitled to use the titles of Prince and Princess.
Why Meghan and Harry Embraced “Sussex”
Although Prince Harry and Meghan stepped back from their royal roles in 2020 and stopped using their HRH styles, they retained their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles. These titles can only be removed through an act of Parliament.
In March 2023, after Lilibet’s christening, the couple confirmed that their children would use their royal titles in formal settings. Shortly after, Buckingham Palace updated its official website to reflect the change, listing them as Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.
For everyday use, however, Archie and Lilibet go by the surname Sussex—mirroring how the Prince and Princess of Wales’s children are known as George, Charlotte, and Louis Wales.
This follows royal tradition; when Prince William and Prince Harry were younger, they were referred to as William Wales and Harry Wales due to their father’s former title, the Prince of Wales.
