As the Queen said, “You know you that bitch when you cause all this conversation.” Queen Beyonce, that is, who did you think I was referencing? Obviously, people are still talking about the Duchess of Sussex and her new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan. Bitter people have thoughts, Daily Mail columnists have thoughts, random comedians have thoughts, British chefs have thoughts, trade paper “critics” have thoughts and on and on. Who would have thought that a gentle little food/lifestyle show would become one of the biggest cultural conversations of the year?
One big discourse from WLM is about Meghan’s name. There’s a scene in the Mindy Kaling episode where Mindy called her “Meghan Markle” and Meghan corrects her, saying “I’m Sussex now.” You would have thought Meghan slapped QEII’s surviving corgi, the ink that’s been spilled over analyzing that one brief moment. Meghan was “rude” to Mindy (nope), Meghan was wrong to use her title as a surname (nope), Meghan is breaking every royal protocol out there (lol). Well, Vogue and USA Today have already run “explainers” for the “Meghan Sussex” controversy, but I wasn’t expecting the g–damn New York Times to join in with their own piece: “Wait, What Is Meghan’s Last Name? The Duchess of Sussex caused a stir on “With Love, Meghan” when she said Sussex was her last name. But does that break from royal tradition?” An excerpt from the NYT:
It’s understandable that Meghan, whose representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment, insists on usage of what she feels is the correct form of her name. But as with most Meghan-related news, the clip quickly made waves online as people took to social media to criticize her. Some commenters thought she was being pretentious, and others called her out for seemingly having confused her royal house with the family’s surname.
Two days after the new series premiered, during an appearance on “The View,” Ms. Kaling said that she had “a great time” on the show, despite critics who felt like Meghan had behaved in a passive aggressive way toward her.
There is still some debate, however, on Meghan’s last name.
“She’s either totally oblivious to what her actual name is, she doesn’t understand it or she’s lying,” Hilary Fordwich, a royal family expert, said in a phone interview. Ms. Fordwich explained that while it isn’t new for a member of the royal family to choose to go by their birth titles (Prince Harry went by Harry Wales during his time in the British army), that doesn’t make it their family name.
“By established protocol, he can use Harry Sussex, which I’ve never heard him use,” she said. “She could choose to use Meghan Sussex, but it’s not their surname. This was the issue in that Netflix clip.”
However, Rachel Bowie, the royals editor for the lifestyle website PureWow, didn’t think what Meghan said was problematic at all, adding that it’s “totally within royal protocol” and she didn’t see it as a formal change.
“Even though Archie and Lili were christened ‘Mountbatten-Windsor,’ Harry and Meghan are borrowing Sussex from their title to make up their last name,” Ms. Bowie, who was previously the co-host of the “Royally Obsessed” podcast, said in a phone interview. “I never read it as Meghan formally changing her name, but more as this symbolic thing for herself, that she feels this connection, between the four of them, that they move through the world under the name Sussex,” she added.
Opinions have continued to roll in, even from relatives of Harry and Meghan. Lord Ivar Mountbatten, a cousin of King Charles III and a reality television star on “The Traitors,” claimed she had been wrong about her own surname in an interview he gave to Town & Country, saying the family’s surname is Mountbatten-Windsor. “Her children are called Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor; they’re not called Archie and Lilibet Sussex, because Sussex is a title,” he said.
The Times then went around, trying to figure out the actual rules about surnames and the Windsors, and came back with nothing confirmed. Probably because the Windsors make it up as they go along? Everyone is breaking royal protocol until William and Kate do it, you know? Then it’s fine. Harry and William used “Wales” as a surname in school and in the military when they were the sons of the Prince of Wales. Obviously, Harry intends for his wife and children to do the same with Sussex. I would also imagine that William’s kids are now using Wales as their surname in school, just as they initially used Cambridge as a surname before their dad became PoW. What kills me is that literally all of these “royal experts” know that, and know that Meghan is totally within her rights to call herself Meghan Sussex. “She’s either totally oblivious to what her actual name is, she doesn’t understand it or she’s lying.” Get a massive grip, you harpy.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images & Netflix.
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- Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex is all smiles arriving at The Ludlow House in New York City attending an Netflix event Featuring: Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex Where: New York, New York, United States When: 03 Mar 2025 Credit: Elder Ordonez/INSTARimages
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- Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex is all smiles arriving at The Ludlow House in New York City attending an Netflix event Featuring: Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex Where: New York, New York, United States When: 03 Mar 2025 Credit: Elder Ordonez/INSTARimages
How DARE a grown woman make a casual but clear statement as to how she calls herself! And to go as far as to include her children! Scandalous!
Honestly though, if I were her I’d be loving the meltdowns overseas over something so innocent. Imagine the power!
I know plenty of people who when they get married created or chose a new last name. That they both then changed their names to. Yet there is no collective dry heaving.
Harry’s last name used to be Wales. They both got new names with the Sussex title. Even if they take away the title – they can just change their last names to Sussex. Like. That’s how it works. Good lord.
Really. I hope they legally change their last names to Sussex in American courts. Because this is insanity.
This whole thing is fantastically ridiculous. Every week is make up shit about Meghan week. Would Debretts be a good enough source for those people?
https://debretts.com/royal-family/the-royal-family/the-royal-surname/
QEII issued a proclamation in Privy Council in 1960 that her descendants who did NOT HAVE ROYAL TITLES would use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.
Debretts comment on the current controversy quotes the full text of her proclamation and goes on to say:
“Although the official surname of the Royal Family is Mountbatten-Windsor, some members of the family use different ‘surnames’. These stem from the senior title of the head of each branch of the family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex can, and do, use the ‘surname’ Sussex. This is in line with the time when Prince Harry used Wales as his surname whilst serving in the army, to reflect that he was the son of the (then) Prince of Wales. Now that he is the Duke of Sussex, his wife and children can, and do, use Sussex as a surname.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh can also use Edinburgh as their surname, in the same way that they used Wessex, but their children use Mountbatten-Windsor or even Windsor; James, Earl of Wessex, could use Wessex as his surname; it is entirely up to him.”
Thank you for this information. In this day and age, with all the technology that we now have at our fingertips, it amazes me that there is still so much misinformation being reported by so many so-called journalists. It is only by doing our own research, using reputable sites, that we can access the correct information. Sadly, there are so very many people who just accept without question.
“She could choose to use Meghan Sussex, but it’s not their surname.” Um, wouldn’t using it like that make it her surname? I am sure that H&M have made or will make it legally their name since this is what they have decided on for their family. As the tabloids are so fond of pointing out, Meghan will have to do things like file taxes and she will need a legal name for these things.
Exactly. And if Will and Kate moved to the US, they’d have to pick a surname, too.
Many years ago, I went to Martinique with a tour group and the tour guide kept telling us, “Remember, this is not the United States.” I feel like saying the same to these critics – Remember, this is not the UK.
Soooo what I’m hearing is Meghan said call me Meghan Sussex from now on and the British press and all their collaborators don’t want to. So they’ve gathered to tell people Meghan doesn’t know what her own name is.
You can tell the intent is to create confusion because these same people breathlessly covered the Sussex website update a year ago that announced their new family surname is Sussex. Just like with privacy, the George V convention, the fire in Archie’s room, and the car chase in NY the goal is to paint Harry and Meghan (especially Meghan) as a liar.
Meghan could say that Harry is called Prince Harry, and it would launch a thousand think pieces about how very wrong she is, even though the entire fucking planet calls him Prince Harry.
It’s quite possible that Meghan and Harry changed their last names and their children’s last names legally and confidentially through the US courts. Either way, there’s a lot of people who need to get a grip and go touch some grass!
I can’t imagine two kids growing up in California with the last name Mountbatten-Windsor. Harry and Meghan just being pragmatic here.
That’s exactly what I thought. Sussex is just a lot easier to use, say, and spell. Hyphenated surnames do exist in the US but they’re rare, and usually a result of a married couple wanting to combine both surnames for them and their kids. To be honest, they’re considered a little pretentious. So using Sussex just simplifies things and makes sense to boot. The fact that “Mountbatten-Windsor” is a particular mouthful just compounds this.
I agree as well. One of my best friends growing up was George’s sister Anastasia Stephanopoulos. Her full name never fit anywhere, especially anything computerized. I remember a big to do over this issue for the SATs.
Also – Harry has some distance now and might actually have looked deeply into that Mountbatten guy. I wouldn’t want anything to do with him either.
The name also is a sweet tribute to Harry’s grandmother, who gave them the titles, and it is actually less patriarchal than taking Mountbatten-Wales, because the Queen gave this to both of them when they married.
There’s more outrage over Meghan using Sussex as her last name than Trump & Musk turning the White House into a sleazy used car lot. Must be racism.
The used car lot it will be forgotten long before Meghan Sussex. If the Sussex children were at school in England they would use Sussex as the surname. There is no precedence for the children to use Mountbatten-Windsor.
She is a free woman, she can do what the f*ck she wants. She can even change her surname to “Princess Consuela Banana Hammock”, if she likes. If her children are using the surname “Sussex” like their dad used “Wales”, she can opt to using the same surname as her children, as it is true for a lot of moms. Harry has been known as Prince Harry since he was born. We don’t know, if he is using Harry Sussex as his name on documents. Maybe he is, it doesn’t matter.
Also, when it came to Archie and Lili, it took a sweet time they were announced as Prince & Princess. Archie didn’t use Sussex in UK, because the palace talked a lot of sh*t to H&M that their child won’t be made Prince. They even proposed giving the Sussex titles back. They didn’t know for sure, it won’t be taken away. Now, they do and they are using it as they like, as a lot of titled people in UK.
Cancel the british Monarchy if you don’t want Meghan or her children to use their titles. Otherwise, don’t cry about the only prominent non-white titled members of the family since it makes you sound racist.
@Sevenblue, I agree 💯!
Let’s just not give so much focus on these haters. They keep popping up to give their 2 cents on something that is NONE OF THEIR G-DAMN BUSINESS, but they gotta make money out of bashing Meghan. They are just pathetic low-lives!
This is all true and thanks for the laugh/scream!
They really love to insinuate that she’s a liar don’t they? Didn’t Becky English even say using Sussex as a last name was fine? So what is this article even? Add Fordwich to the list of people showing themselves. Not very expert is she.
They are lying about her constantly so of course they have to project that onto Meghan.. it’s her name she can change it to whatever she wishes. People do it everyday and no one says a word.
Meghan’s name is whatever she wants it to be and there’s nothing anyone can do to change that fact. She can go and have her name and the children’s names legally changed right here in the good old USA and no one can stop her. She can be Meghan Spaghetti and the children can be Archie and Lillibet Spaghetti right alongside her and they can’t do a thing to stop it. That’s why they’re angry. Plus, she’s STILL officially HRH Meghan the Dutchess of Sussex, whether she chooses to use the HRH, or put it on a shelf for safe keeping. AND THEY KNOW THIS.
But sure, cry harder.
Mountbatten Windsor is also a made up name. Phillip took his mother’s name and Windsor was made up George V. So I think Meghan should be allowed to do what she wants also.
“She can go and have her name and the children’s names legally changed right here in the good old USA and no one can stop her. She can be Meghan Spaghetti and the children can be Archie and Lillibet Spaghetti right alongside her and they can’t do a thing to stop it.”
💯 percent this! She can call herself whatever she wants and/or legally change her name to whatever she wants in the USA. Haters, cry harder.
Mountbatten-Windsor is a mouthful not to mention pretentious-sounding. I’d go with Sussex too
The last name drama is seriously annoying, because we all know it’s a certain kind of gate-keeping. At least the NYT is trying to explain it as opposed to saying she’s wrong or should still officially be a Markle.
Some American women keep their last name that they had from birth depending on their culture, convictions or ease-of-use. Most American women still change their last name to that of their husband’s last name at birth (if they marry a guy). A few Americans hyphenate or even fewer go for a new last name altogether.
What are WanK going by as last name? How are their children referred to at school? Why on earth don’t people focus on Harry’s birth family instead of going after Meghan? (Actually, I’m pretty sure I know this answer–the question is rhetorical.:P)
It wouldn’t matter what surname she used they are going to find fault with it just because it’s Meg a biracial woman who had the audacity to marry a white Prince.
Exactly.
Maybe she legally changed her and the children’s names to that?
Jaysus, if I were their spokesperson, my eyes would be in Narnia from all the rolling. How hard is it to get, considering all these protocol experts are supposed to know this stuff? He was Harry Wales growing up because his father was the prince of Wales. His brother is now the prince of Wales so he can’t exactly go by that surname. He’s the duke of Sussex so now the family surname is Sussex. Imagine if she’d said that Harry was still Harry Wales so that was her married name? Idiots, useless idiots, the lot of them 🙄🙄
I’m sure they have already made Sussex their legal formal family name. I highly doubt Meghan would be going around telling people to call her that if it wasn’t already official especially since their children are school age. This way neither Harry or Meghan have to share a family name with their toxic sperm donors. No Winsdor or Markle last names to be seen.
The Marchioness of Bath used Emma Weymouth as her name when her husband was still Viscount Weymouth. She didn’t use Emma Thynn. As for Lord Ivar Mountbatten, it’s Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to you.
I definitely will remember these experts the next time I see “Sophie Wessex” or Edinburgh or whatever in the tabloids. The ownership these folks feel over the black woman is amazing. Meghan can call herself any damn thing she wants so Meghan Sussex it is! I mean she is not even calling herself The Duchess of Sussex but they still mad. Go play outside more people.
Let’s be real, the drama about her last name is silly. And the Times has already lost credibility with me, they may as well be the may as well be the NY Post. Meghan is THAT girl – she brings her own energy and people love her for it. She makes waves wherever she goes and leaves people wondering what to do next. It’s pathetic behavior for most critics
In their kneejerk reaction to blame everything on Meghan, have they thought about how Harry would have also wanted Sussex as his last name instead of Wales? This was his marriage, it frees him from associating with his brother (current PoW) or father (son of former PoW), and it was a gift from his beloved grandmother.
This would have been a joint decision and a show of unity. As they said, they’re salt and pepper, and they go together.
Chuck through Ivar must be pissed that he’s been Markled, or in this case Sussexed.
Kate was called “Kate Cambridge” as I recall. And in the media. Nobody got all upset over it.
As I recall, Meghan and Harry are referred to as “The Sussexes” by the BM every time they want to bash them, in comparison to the Wailes. So, I just can’t be bothered to take their performative ire seriously.
How come those “royal” experts like Fordwich are so bitter.
Beatrice York . Eugenie York. Sophie Wessex. All liars?? Different rules for Meghan.
Right? I remember George Cambridge’s first day of school.
I was just about to post about the same thing. The royals don’t really have a surname so the title is usually used when a surname is needed eg William Wales, Beatrice York etc
I really don’t get all this much ado about nothing.
They’re screaming that the Sussexes are not allowed to use the titles, and when they don’t, it’s not OK either.
Seriously?
I think H&M know better than others what they can and can’t do. And then there’s always the possibility to change a UK surname by deed poll.
So why does anyone care? Why do they make it sound as if Meghan, the joyful little ray of sunshine, will start a revolution and storm the barricades?
Isn’t Beatrice’s instagram handle “beayork?” As in Beatrice York? Did those girls ever go by Mountbatten Windsor? I definitely don’t think Fergie ever went by that surname. They were ‘the Yorks,’ just as Meghan, Harry and kids are ‘the Sussexes.’ This isn’t complicated, people.
And to suggest that she’s lying?!! Girl, please sit down.
Beatrice and Eugenie use York as their surname. The royalists used to point this out when they complained about Harry and Meghan continuing to be styled as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
I seem to remember royalists saying that Harry and Meghan shouldn’t call themselves The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, they should be Harry and Meghan Sussex. So now that Meghan says she’s Meghan Sussex, why is it still a problem?
The bots want them to lose the Duke and Duchess titles which have not been removed.
The NYT doesn’t give a rat’s ass what Meghan calls herself. It’s just that any sort of flapdoodle on social media is now considered news.
IMO the BM wants Meghan to be firmly identified as Markle to remind the public she was born to a family of American trailer trash; therefore unsuitable to be a member of the BRF. Since the BM couldn’t get Meghan’s maternal family to act like hood rats, the paternal family bringing out the vicious greedy hillbilly in them will do. I also think the Markle Monsters are paid little or nothing to slag off Meghan because the BM has dirt on Toxic Tom that compels them to come out on que. Otherwise, Scammy wouldn’t be suing Meghan and Sr and Jr wouldn’t be on YouTube to supplement thier incomes.
I saw a list in a British rag recently of royal women in relation to something or other, and everyone’s titles were used except Meghan’s who they listed as Meghan Markle and not the Duchess of Sussex, which I saw as a sign of disrespect. The Brits have this ridiculous custom of making women married to royal princes use their husband’s title hence the existence of Princess Michael. Other European houses make women who marry into the royal houses princesses. Using the ducal designation as a last name seems to be an established British royal tradition, except when Meghan subscribes to it. Harry and his wife and children are the house of Sussex, but the British racists cannot bear the idea that Harry chose a bi-racial American. I’m sure if Archie and Lili didn’t look so white, they would be harassing those children about their titles as well. Their indecency knows no bounds. I believe that in the UK, all the Sussexes are RH’s, because Archie and Lili are the children of the son and grandchildren of the monarch.
out of all the episodes of WLM I thought the one with Mindy was the weakest. there just didn’t seem to be much chemistry between them. yes, the “I’m Sussex now” was uncomfortable, but who would blame Meghan for not wanting her name to be the thing that still tied her to Toxic Tom?
Sorry, but a week ago didn’t the DM report that Wendy Bosberry-Scott, editor of Debrett’s Peerage and Baronetage, say what Meghan is doing is just fine? Call me crazy, but that would seem to be the definitive answer (even though it’s in the DM), regardless of what Hilary and Lord Ivar whoever are opining about (see the March 7 CB article). Disappointing to the NYT is jumping on this bandwagon for clicks.
“…it has long been the practice of the Royal Family, and indeed the peerage, to use a title as a surname where one is available…Now that [Harry] is the Duke of Susses, it is perfectly within protocol for him to use Harry Sussex and for his wife to use Meghan Sussex. This is no different from the Duke of Norfolk calling himself Edward Norfolk, when his surname is Howard.”
Oh, and remind me again why the royal family has used the name Windsor?
So basically then using Sussex as a surname is fine but they don’t like it. Not only because it’s one more reminder that she’s a royal but it also shows the solidity of her family and marriage. I tell you filling out those field trip permission slips are a hell of a lot easier with Sussex as the last name. If they don’t want to call her Meghan Sussex, they could use royal highness.
Meghan is MARRIED to Harry and they have two children who all share a surname because they are a family and that is what is sticking in the craw of these haters. They are married and settled with children in the sunshine. Theses whack jobs are obsessed with the sanctity of the RF ? What about the sanctity of the Sussex marriage which has blossomed despite every horrible attempt to break them up.
I made the mistake of correcting someone on FB who insisted their last name was Mountbatten-Windsor and I said Meghan and her family now go by the last name of Sussex. I had about 50 responses that were…shall I say not polite. I finally had to post a link to an article with the clip in it where she told Mindy Kaling about the name change. Honestly these keyboard warriors are so idiotic.
I’m surprised the media hasn’t found any legal name filings for the name change to Sussex? I thought those were a matter of public record. Even if they haven’t done it yet, they may do it eventually. I’m guessing they have to put down whatever legal name for Archie and Lili for school. I think they’re just mad that the Sussexes would even think to officially and legally change their last name to Sussex. I’m sure in certain circles she’ll be Meghan Markle forever but over time she’ll be referred to as just Meghan or Meghan Sussex. It’s really all about the sense of ownership. The British media wants to own Meghan since they have always referred to her as Meghan Markle, even after she got married. But even now with her new name, they can’t control what the rest of the world calls her.
So I cancelled my Washington Post subscription because of Bezos, which leaves my NY Times subscription. But the NY Times drives me nuts with the excruciating evenhandedness. Why bring Fordwich into it at all, as she’s clearly wrong?
All the Windsor family have changed their names so many times and throughout history. It’s only bad when Meghan does it apparently
Harry and Meghan’s children have the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, but Meghan is listed on their birth certificate as the Duchess of Sussex. In the US, in various situations, offices, she needs a surname. In charity and business activities they are known as Sussex, they bought this domain and go by it – sussex.com. They work together on this surname and that’s how they are known. Taking it as a formal one is a brilliant move for many reasons: they work for themselves, not for Windsor, and if William ever convinces parliament (which I doubt) to strip them of the title of Duke/Duchess of Sussex, not only is Harry still a prince, because it can’t be stripped, Meghan would become Princess Henry, but they would still be Sussex 😃 Brilliant move!
Because how many times can you start over? They were forced to do it three times. They started the page and gained millions of followers, and the palace made them change their name, so they basically had to start over a few times. Now they are the global Sussex brand and they have made sure it stays that way :🤣
The children do NOT have the surname Mountbatten-Windsor. Once Charles became king, as grandchildren of the monarch the children became Prince/Princess of Sussex, while Harry and Meghan continued as Duke/Duchess of Sussex. All of them are entitled to use Sussex as their last name as per established protocol, as stated by the editor of Debrett’s (see my comment above). Her considered opinion should supersede any random comments by self-styled royal experts, and has nothing to do with a domain name or anything else. This is how things have always worked with the British peerage. The only thing complicated about it is that it involves Meghan, so various people/media/organizations feel obligated to pontificate on how it can’t possibly be correct.
@windyriver
KOAR,=AR
Don’t distort reality. Of course both Archie and Libet have the surname Mountbatten-Windsor on their birth certificates. That’s a FACT!
https://s.abcnews.com/images/International/archie-birth-certificate-ap-jc-190517_hpEmbed_2_8x11_992.jpg
And it’s obvious that HM thinks ahead and doesn’t work for the Sussex brand to have it taken away from them. That’s why adopting Sussex, whether officially or customarily, makes sense, because their brand is Sussex.
This might not be entirely about Meghan. It might be a MAGA/ Project 2025 thing. I really didn’t get WTF the whole surname thing with Meghan was and people going off on her changing her last name when marrying Harry seemed stupid. But it’s this whole Republican vote suppression technique, and they’re putting the onus on regular women voters who’ve taken their husband’s names exactly like Meghan did‼️
I just read that they’re going after women voting in New Hampshire. You need essentially every single form of ID and then dome, and women whose last names differ from their birth certificates are being denied the right to vote⚠️
First off, 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
Next, make sure you all have copies of birth certificates, passports, licences, etc…
https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/03/13/new-hampshire-voter-id-elections-polls
America is a dictatorship now. I’m so upset!!!
They are clearly aware that most women vote for Democrats, so they are doing everything they can to make it harder for them to vote.
A little while longer and we will have to fight for voting rights again:(