The Duchess of Sussex debuted her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast this week. The first episode was a one-on-one conversation with Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, and the two women had a great energy with one another. Meghan is such a girl’s girl, and I mean that in an entirely positive way. You can just tell in Archetypes and now COAFF that she just loves talking to women and bonding with women. As I was listening to the first episode, I didn’t pay any attention to how Meghan introduced herself, but of course, that’s a conversation. People Mag had coverage, so did Page Six and I’m sure the British papers will scream about it too. As it turns out, Meghan didn’t use her title, nor did she refer to herself with any surname.
Meghan Markle is keeping it simple with her introduction on her new podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder.
The first episode, released by Lemonada Media on April 8, features the Duchess of Sussex, 43, introducing herself as simply “Meghan.” This straightforward approach is echoed in the episode’s end credits, where a voice announces: “Confessions of a Female Founder is a production of Lemonada Media, created and hosted by Meghan.” A promotional photo for the podcast also features the title followed by “with Meghan.”
Prince Harry and Meghan received the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex from Queen Elizabeth on their May 2018 wedding day. Although the couple’s two children — son Prince Archie, 5, and daughter Princess Lilibet, 3 — were born with the royal family’s surname of Mountbatten-Windsor, they use “Sussex” as their last name.
I know exactly what this is – this is Meghan wanting the focus to be on the podcast, interview and conversation rather than her name. She’s trying to briefly opt out of the neverending psychodrama about her name. I get that, I really do, and I don’t blame her for just wanting to do a thing without people writing a million f–king screeds about her name. But I also hate that Meghan has been bullied to the point where she feels like she can’t just use her married name without it becoming an international controversy. She’s Meghan Sussex. Or the Duchess of Sussex. Deal with it, people.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images, Meghan’s IG.
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- Vancouver, CANADA – Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend wheelchair basketball at the Vancouver Convention Centre during the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver. Pictured: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex BACKGRID USA 9 FEBRUARY 2025 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Vancouver, CANADA – Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex at Wheelchair Basketball in Vancouver Convention Centre during Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 in Canada. **SHOT ON 2/9/25** Pictured: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Susse BACKGRID USA 14 FEBRUARY 2025 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex at Wheelchair Curling in Hillcrest Recreation Centre during Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 Featuring: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Where: Vancouver, Canada When: 09 Feb 2025 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex at Wheelchair Curling in Hillcrest Recreation Centre during Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 Featuring: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Where: Vancouver, Canada When: 09 Feb 2025 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Whistler Welcome Celebration at the 2025 Invictus Games Featuring: Meghan Markle Where: Whistler, Canada When: 10 Feb 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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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
Meghan’s IG handle is simply her name. It’s a simple strategy to create cohesion in her brand and with seo. She’s becoming a one name icon.
This is not about any concession to the haters. It’s American casual – she’s on a first name basis with us, she’s approachable and casual – and it’s also a great move for her brand with her IG. Simple.
I agree 100%!! If someone says Meghan, I know exactly who they are referring to so there’s no need to add a surname or title.
I bet “My father” McCain hates that, lol.
LOL @ MsIam’s, Megan “My Father” McCain hates that. But in all honesty, this woman is NOT Megan, she is Megan My Father McCain, like for real, that her name.
Now Duchess Meghan on the other hand? That woman don’t need a second name, she is already a one name icon, just like her husband.
You hit the nail on the head, she is because a one named icon..
“She’s becoming a one name icon.”
I wouldn’t mind that, I think it’s great. Her other podcast’s full title is “Archetype with Meghan” and she also only introduced herself as Meghan in the podcasts (but the end credit was Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, if I remembered correctly).
I noticed it too when she started the podcast with hello I’m Meghan. I think her using just her first name is fine because we all know who she is. I don’t know if there weren’t any noise about her using Sussex if she would use it?
That’s nothing new to us. Archetypes went “with Meghan” as well. Probably her way to fade out the royal noise…
I don’t know why this is an issue. Has she ever introduced herself as Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex? Even as a working Royal? Much ado about nothing. Has nothing to do with the British press.
I didn’t even see it as being that deep. Do people frequently introduce themselves on podcasts or talk shows by their full name? I legitimately can’t recall. It seems to me more that if you are already listening to the podcast, you know who she is, saying Meghan is sufficient.
I know that the BM makes everything a story but I don’t always think that she’s doing something in reaction to, or because she’s worried about a reaction sometimes she’s just behaving normally. Didn’t she do the same on Archetypes?
I listen to Dan Harris’ podcast and he does use his full name but so does his site and his branding so it does create cohesion. I’ve listened to a few Jay Shetty podcasts and I do recall that he uses his last name as well.
I think these people use both their names because if they just intro themselves by just first name, no one would know who they are. Its not the case with Duchess Meghan. The moment she says ” hey I’m Meghan, or “hi, this is Meghan” the first Meghan that comes to mind is Duchess Meghan, so she needs no second name to be recognized.
The DM won’t be happy.
Is the podcast going to be weekly? I’m ready for the next ep! In a lot of podcasts, there are full vids in which you can see the people talking. I wonder if that’s something Meghan would ever do. And I knew this is a lot but I wonder if she would ever take fan questions lol. Obv her team could weed out the best ones but that would be cute. And they’d prob have to be business related but still.
The podcast is going out each week for the next 8 weeks.
Cue the “She’s snubbing the royal family!!!” noise. F them people and go Meghan!!! And what a ridiculous thing to point out, People is acting like the Daily Fail with this nonsense.
This is proof they are getting divorced.
People could get it right though instead of still calling her Meghan Markle.
This is not a big deal to me. She didn’t use her surname on Archetypes either. I think it’s just for uniformity as Lemonada has aired Archetypes under their umbrella.
This is entirely the courtiers fuckery. When Diana married Charles it was clear the media was not going to call her by her officially correct name “Princess Charles.” They went with using her maiden name when referring to her. This stuck with Sarah Ferguson, Kate Middleton, and now Meghan Markle.
It’s absolutely ridiculous. Some new way of referring to married in royal women needed to be created and they just didn’t do it. Impossible people.
That’s an excellent point.
As an American, I don’t give a flip about titles or surnames or how much of their name people use when they introduce themselves, what they call their business, etc. I don’t know if it’s a cultural thing or not but many of us here are not bothered by those kinds of things. It could be rooted in the American concept of free to be whoever you want to be, I don’t know.
I will say though, that I thought that the portion of the Mindy Kaling episode of WLM in which Mrg corrects Mindy on her last name was weird. It felt clunky to me, so was it the editing? Why didn’t Mindy know what Meg’s surname is now if they are friends? How did Mindy feel, as a single woman who chose to have kids on her own, to have her friend talk at her about her little family’s name, the name she got from her husband? Meghan seems like a kind & warm person so I must chalk it up to the editing.
I think Meghan really wants to shed the Markle last name, despite the media’s insistence on continuing to call her that.
I would absolutely want to shed that name if I was her! Whatever it takes.
Yes, it seemed clunky to me too. It changed the mood for a minute.
That moment stood out to me, too.
The energy shifted, didn’t it?
Perhaps Mindy wasn’t expecting the conversation to go in that direction.
If Meghan didn’t want that moment to be in the episode we know she would’ve had it removed. So she left it there for a reason.
I can see why her haters picked up on that moment & ran with it.
The poor woman has to act & speak & appear impeccable at all times.
How exhausting & also how unfair.
It’s a marvel she even wants a public platform.
I sure as hell couldn’t handle that amount of pressure!
🫠
I think it was clunky because it was scripted. They tried to shoehorn in “Meghan Sussex” by putting it into a conversation – “Who would have thought Meghan Markle…” “It’s funny people say Markle when I’m really Sussex…” But this isn’t natural conversation between friends. Still, it got the message across.
IIRC, didn’t Meghan say in the early part of that episode that she got to know Mindy when she was a guest on Archetypes, which was only a couple of years ago, and theirs had mostly been a text/email friendship since then? It did seem to me like a relatively new relationship if you compare it with Meghan and other friends on later episodes. There were several interactions between Mindy and Meghan that seemed a bit clunky, like they were still learning about each other. As for the last name call out, more than one person here thought it was a set up, that Mindy was in on a plan to get that information out there. I think the interaction makes sense either way.
ETA: see Eurydice’s comment above
I’m not sure I trust Mindy. When she said I’m a hierarchical girl, I was really surprised. She’s Indian, one of the most hierarchical societies with their caste system and she’s dark, which they really hate. The other famous hierarchical society is the royal family. Seems like she would love to be noticed by them. I don’t know, it’s just my instinct. I hope I’m wrong but I will be paying attention. Just for context I am an American Black woman who Indians look down on.
I thought it was interesting Mindy was so concerned last year about where the number on her jam jar fit in vis a vis the other recipients. Apart from noticing that, I’m not a POC so can’t speak to the issues you mentioned, but it’s interesting to hear your point of view. For myself, the most I can say, as above, is it struck me as a relatively new friendship (though of course I have no way of knowing!)
I’m glad ‘Sussex’ made people uncomfortable in the WLM episode with Mindy Kaling. Emotions, even negative ones, are great at helping people learn, recall and remember. Maybe people thought it was clunky because they’re still calling her by her maiden name ‘Markle.’ 🙄
I think Meghan is using just Meghan professionally from now on. It’s “As Ever, Megan, With love Meghan, and Meghan for both podcasts.
Is it only the British monarchy that does not make the married in women Princesses in their own right? It seems the other European monarchies do. And if the heir is female, they make her husband a prince. It’s so awkward and absurd.
I don’t think this is in response to the stupidity about her stating her surname is Sussex in WLM, I think this was the strategy she and her team chose for this next phase in her career. Her handle is just Meghan. The show is called With Love, MEGHAN. The hints to the new brand name were signoffs on IG of As Ever, Meghan. I think the goal is to position her as a female founder and also simultaneously give an element of familiarity and closeness to the audience by using just her first name. The note about her surname in the show was just to remind the people who disrespect her marriage and family(not Mindy) that she is her husband’s wife and the mother of their children and should be treated as such whether they like it or not.
I brought the shortbread cookies into work today. The box made a huge amount of cookies, even with some of the dough eaten/dropped/played with by my 2 year old helper. I said to my colleagues, who I’ve never spoken to about Meghan, they were cookies from Meghan’s new business and they all said “oohhh, fancy!” They knew exactly who I was talking about. Someone else said she’d heard that everything had sold out. Cookies were a huge hit–everyone said they were delicious, and so pretty with the flower sprinkles. I’m glad I bought 2 boxes. Will definitely buy again!!
Aw thx for the update. They sound lovely and.clearly a fun time was had in the making of them.
To no one’s surprise, the podcast has been given unfavorable reviews even by reputable papers in the U.K.. Did they actually listen to it or just parroting the tabloid hate?
They had their “reviews” written a week earlier:))
Remember that idiot who posted a terribly critical two-page article about an interview with Oprah that hadn’t even aired yet :)))
They always do that. The quality of the event, movie, or show with HM doesn’t matter, because they know what they’re going to write.
“…even by reputable papers in the U.K.”
Did you mean Guardian? No. There’re no reputable daily newspapers in UK right now, Guardian has jumped the shark to bootlicking the Royal Family years ago, a lot of their current columnists & reviewers are racists. Byline Times is the only publisher willing to tell the truth but they are not a daily newspaper.
I think Meghan is sticking it to the people who say she needs the royals to be relevant. Let’s be honest. She is one of the few people who is recognized by first name only. She’s in the league with Oprah, Beyonce, Madonna, Serena, Ciara, and Cher. It’s also for branding purposes since her IG handle is only her first name. Whine-sores are probably screaming into their beans and toast because they need to be associated with her versus her needing to be associated with them. Well done, Duchess!
I’m kindve glad she’s just known as being Meghan. It goes with her brand – she’s a California girl. And with this, she cut off the toxicity of the UK.
As an American I don’t understand what any royal title means in America. I get she has it through marriage and Harry and their children through birthright. No one is taking it away from them. If it’s just something they need to add some legal documents or something. I don’t know what it gets them but headaches.
They pay for their own security. It doesn’t offer any power in terms of world matters or decisions. Other than the ability to shine a light on charitable causes through their global visits to countries via invitations. They can’t represent the BRF when they stepped down as working royals.
I prefer her just as Meghan. Her and Harry did so much to get away from the royal family. Why would you want a title from an instution that has done everything to destroy you.
They are an A list power couple that will not change. A royal title does add or take away from their celebrity and philanthropic status.
I have quit jobs with titles for less lol.
100% agree with you. HM are successful A-listers now. But I’m pretty sure People around here would casually call them just as Harry and Meghan, with no titles after that.
I also agree with you about titles. My sister is a Vice President of a pretty big organization but to me she’s still my big sister 😄.