Meghan Markle confirms she and Harry use ’Sussex’ as their family surname

03 March 2025 , 20:42

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Meghan Markle confirms she and Harry use ’Sussex’ as their family surname

Meghan dropped the name Markle after marrying Prince Harry in 2018, and she’s now confirmed the couple have kept with royal tradition when picking which surname to use in their day-to-day lives

When Meghan Markle met Prince Harry back in 2016, she was a famous actress with a loyal fan base.

So even after her royal wedding many still referred to her using her maiden name, as it’s how they’ve known her for so many years. But she dropped the surname Markle after marrying Prince Harry - but as a member of the Royal Family she doesn’t officially have a surname.

Royals use their titles in place of surnames, so Harry is officially Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, while Meghan is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Their children Archie and Lilibet were granted Prince and Princess titles following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

However, these titles aren’t really practical in day-to-day life, especially as the family have now made new lives for themselves in the US. And Meghan has now confirmed the surname the family are using in their new lives - Sussex. 

It seems the couple have kept with royal tradition and decided to turn their title into a family name for everyday use. Meghan explained how much the surname means to her in a new interview with PEOPLE magazine, published on the eve of her new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan.

She described it as being part of her and Harry’s “love story”, adding: “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. 

"I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me.”

Prince William and Princess Kate decided to do the same when their children started school, and George, Charlotte and Louis all used the surname Cambridge - their titles before Queen Elizabeth II passed away.

Charles and Diana made the same decision, and William and Harry used the surname Wales during their time at school and in the Army and RAF. Meghan’s highly-anticipated new show drops on Netflix tomorrow, and will show her sharing her best gardening, cookery and hosting tips.

She’s joined by a host of celebrity pals, including Mindy Kaling, Abigail Spencer, Delfina Blaquier and Roy Choi.

The show has been made as part of the couple’s multi-million dollar five-year deal with the streaming giant, which they signed after quitting their senior royal roles just before the pandemic.

Sophie Walker