Meghan Markle, whatever alias she adopts, will forever remain the enigmatic spirit that is Meghan. To Americans, the British royal family's naming conventions often elicit puzzled head-scratching. The intricate tapestry of dukedoms, titles, and inheritances weaves a narrative so complex that understanding the royal nomenclature can seem like an insurmountable task. Enter Meghan, whose marriage to Prince Harry ushered her into this storied realm, ready to shed some light.
"Upon tying the knot," she revealed to Emily Chang during a recent sit-down interview with Bloomberg on August 26, "I changed my name. Yet, for many, it's a labyrinthine matter to grasp, for within this structure, a surname isn't the norm."
Indeed, when it comes to the moniker "Sussex," Meghan acknowledged that while the name could be loosely employed as a surname, she clarified, "It's a dukedom, plain and simple. That's the reality of it. My legal moniker is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex." For those royal enthusiasts who might recall the Suits alum referring to herself as "Meghan Sussex" in season one of With Love, Meghan, who now shares her life with six-year-old Prince Archie and four-year-old Princess Lilibet, offered an explanation. "Sussex serves as our family name," she elaborated, "and it's the name we've bestowed upon our cherished children."
And for those still struggling to piece together the royal puzzle, know that you're not alone. As the 44-year-old admitted, "I understand the confusion; I'm American. When I immersed myself in that world, I began to comprehend, but returning as an American, I found myself saying, 'I'm so lost.'"
Meghan also addressed the seemingly relentless fascination with her name and role since her royal union. "What I've come to realize about myself is that regardless of my name or what people call me, I remain the same person," she said. "It doesn't alter who I am. Perhaps that's the most defining aspect of all."
But mastering royal conventions wasn't the only thing Meghan absorbed during her time across the pond before she and Harry stepped back from their senior royal duties and relocated to California in 2020. She also revealed a fondness she still holds dear.
"Honestly," she confessed to Tan France, a guest on season two of With Love, Meghan, "one of the things I miss most about the U.K. is the Magic radio station." In response, the Queer Eye host playfully teased, "Sorry to burst your bubble publicly, but that's such a grandma station." A categorization Meghan readily embraced with a laugh. "I'll embrace being that grandma," she said. "My favorite station in my car is called 'Mom Jeans.'"
