Why Meghan Markle Uses the Last Name Sussex But Her Children Have 2 Last Names

Is it Meghan Markle, Meghan Sussex — or something else entirely?

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, clarified her last name during a conversation with Mindy Kaling in her new Netflix docuseries, With Love, Meghan.

In the lifestyle show, which premiered on Tuesday, March 4, Meghan corrected Kaling after she referred to the duchess by her maiden name, Markle.

“It’s so funny you keep saying Markle,” Meghan said. “You know it’s Sussex now. You have kids and you go, 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 now.”

Meghan, 43, and her husband Prince Harry share two children: Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3. Though the couple share a last name with their kids, Archie and Lilibet actually have a second last name, which they inherited from Harry’s late grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

Why Archie and Lilibet Also Use the Name Mountbatten-Windsor

It’s not surprising that Meghan and Harry, 40, use the last name Sussex.

As royals with titles do not usually have last names, they typically use their title as their family name. For example, when Harry and Prince William were growing up, they used the surname Wales because their parents were the Prince and Princess of Wales.

When Harry and Meghan inherited the Sussex dukedom upon their marriage in 2018, their family name became Sussex.

Speaking to People in an interview published on Monday, March 3, Meghan said the Sussex name is part of her “love story” with Harry.

“It’s our shared name as a family, and I guess I hadn’t recognized how meaningful that would be to me until we had children,” she told the outlet. “I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me.”

However, Meghan and Harry’s two children were born without royal titles and only inherited their “prince” and “princess” titles after their grandfather, King Charles III, ascended the throne on September 8, 2022.

At the time of his birth on May 6, 2019, Archie’s legal name was Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, according to his birth certificate, which was published online.

Similarly, Lilibet was born Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor on June 4, 2021, according to her birth certificate, which was also published online.

Mountbatten-Windsor is a royal family name most commonly used by members without HRH (His or Her Royal Highness) or prince/princess titles. The name is a combination of “Mountbatten” from Philip’s side, and “Windsor” from Elizabeth II’s family.

While Harry and Meghan still use their titles, they stopped using HRH in an official capacity after stepping back from royal duties in 2020.

Meghan and Harry have never used the last name Mountbatten-Windsor. On Archie’s birth certificate, Meghan’s legal name was listed as Rachel Meghan Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex.

Harry’s was listed as His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex.

Meanwhile, on Lilibet’s birth certificate, Harry used the first name “The Duke of Sussex” and the last name “His Royal Highness,” while Meghan listed her full name as Rachel Meghan Markle.

It is not known whether Archie and Lilibet’s names have been legally changed to reflect their new titles. In the line of succession on the royal family’s official website, the children’s names are listed as “Prince Archie of Sussex” and “Prince Lilibet of Sussex.”

They are sixth and seventh in line to the throne respectively after Harry, who is fifth in line.