Ever since Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, premiered earlier this week, there’s been growing confusion over her and her family’s names.
The debate escalated after an episode of the Netflix show in which Meghan discussed her choice of surname with her friend Mindy Kaling.
Since then, public interest in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s titles—along with those of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet—has only intensified.
Why is there so much discussion about Meghan and Harry’s titles?
It all began when Mindy made a lighthearted comment in the episode: “I don’t think anyone in the world knows that Meghan Markle has eaten Jack In The Box and loves it,” referring to Meghan’s admission about enjoying the fast-food chain.
Meghan, a mother of two, then noted that she found it amusing Mindy kept calling her Meghan Markle.
“It’s so funny you keep saying Meghan Markle, you know I’m Sussex now,” she explained. “You have kids and you go ‘No, 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’.”
In response, Mindy simply said: “Well, now I know and I love it.”
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s real names
Following their departure from the royal family, Meghan and Harry were reportedly asked by the late Queen Elizabeth II to stop using the name Sussex Royal, which had previously been their Instagram handle and the title of their website.
As a result, the couple rebranded, choosing Archewell as the name for both their website and production company.
Originally carrying the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, Archie and Lilibet’s titles changed after King Charles III ascended the throne. With this shift, the two children moved higher in the line of succession and were granted the titles Prince and Princess of Sussex, replacing their previous designations as Master Archie and Miss Lilibet.
What’s the meaning behind the ‘Mountbatten-Windsor’ surname?
The surname Mountbatten-Windsor is the official family name used by members of the British royal family who do not hold HRH status or prince/princess titles—hence why it was given at birth to certain royals.
The name itself is a blend of Mountbatten, from the late Prince Philip’s lineage, and Windsor, from the late Queen’s family.
Traditionally, British princes and princesses use their parents’ titles as surnames. Both Prince Harry and Prince William followed this custom, going by Harry Wales and William Wales during their school years.
By choosing to use Sussex as their surname, Meghan and Harry—who hold the titles Duke and Duchess of Sussex—are simply continuing this tradition while ensuring their family shares a unified last name.
Prince Harry’s real name
The name confusion doesn’t end there. When Meghan and Harry’s first child, Prince Archie, was born in 2019, he was officially given the name Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. At the time, both Archie and his younger sister, Lilibet, carried this surname—before their grandfather, King Charles, took the throne in 2022.
But here’s where it gets even more interesting. When Harry signed Archie’s birth certificate—later obtained by Harper’s Bazaar—he used the name: “His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex.”
That’s right—Harry’s real name isn’t actually Harry. It’s Henry.
In fact, there’s a long-standing English tradition of calling men named Henry by the nickname Harry, which explains the switch.
Meghan Markle’s real name
Little Archie’s birth certificate confirmed Meghan’s full legal name as Rachel Meghan Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex.
Meghan on the ‘Sussex’ Family Name
Meghan recently spoke about how much it means to her that all four members of her family share the same last name.
In an interview with PEOPLE, the Suits actress reflected on the significance of the Sussex title, which she and Harry received from the Queen when they married in 2018.
“It’s our shared name as a family, and I guess I hadn’t recognised how meaningful that would be to me until we had children,” she shared. “I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me.”
She also described the Sussex name as “part of our love story.”