Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle described her name change as “complicated” in a new interview, after previously sparking confusion on her Netflix show
19:48, 26 Aug 2025Updated 20:11, 26 Aug 2025
Meghan Markle set the record straight about her real name
Meghan Markle has set the record straight about her surname, after previously sparking confusion. Earlier this year, the wife of Prince Harry was heard correcting Mindy Kaling on her show With Love, Meghan, after the actress referred to her as Meghan Markle.
In response, Meghan said: “It’s so funny, too, that you keep saying, ‘Meghan Markle’, you know, I’m Sussex now.”
In a new interview, the mother-of-two opened up about her life away from the Royal Family, and her latest business and entertainment ventures.
During the chat on Bloomberg’s The Circuit With Emily Chang, she also used the opportunity to address confusion about her name.
She explained: “Well, when I got married, I changed my name. But, it is a complicated one for people to understand because a last name is not typical in that construct.”
Quizzed on if Sussex really was her surname, she continued: “It’s not, but it’s used roughly, or loosely rather.
“It sounds so silly to say, and I get it because I’m American, and then I went there and I started to understand, then you come back and as an American, you go, ‘I’m so confused’. It’s a dukedom (which refers to the rank, title, or territory held by a Duke or Duchess) – so that’s the truth of it.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with their son Archie (Image: Getty Images)
In a final word, Meghan confirmed that her legal name is “Meghan, Duchess of Sussex”, adding that “Sussex” works as her and Harry’s family name.
“It is the name we share with our children [Archie and Lilibet], but yes, since we’ve been married that’s what I’ve been called,” she added.
In addition, reports have long stated that the 44-year-old’s birth name was Rachel Meghan Markle.
It is believed she chose to use Meghan as her first name several years back, and has stuck with it since.
Although she hasn’t publicly discussed her name preference, adopting a different professional moniker is common in the acting world.
The former actress tied the knot with King Charles’ youngest son in London back in 2018, when they were still working as senior royals.
Prince Harry and Meghan stepped away from their senior royal duties in 2020
By March 2020, they had relocated to Meghan’s hometown in Los Angeles, America, after stepping away from their duties.
Harry has since made several trips back to the UK, while Meghan’s only returned a handle of times including in September 2022 for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
Back in May, Harry said he “can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK”, after he lost a legal case about the downgrade of his personal security.
Reflecting on the verdict, he disclosed that he had decided against pursuing further legal action, as the judgement “[proved] that there was no way to win this through the courts”.
He further revealed that his father hadn’t spoken to him during this time, following a disagreement over the matter.