Reality TV
Meghan Markle Confirms Her New Surname In With Love
She clarifies her last name during a chat with Mindy Kaling.
In her new Netflix series With Love, Meghan, the titular Duchess of Sussex doesn’t speak in specifics about the royal family — only making occasional reference to the way her life changed after marrying Prince Harry. She describes her longtime friend Daniel Martin, for example, as someone who’s “been in my life for the before, during, and after, shall we say.”
However, in Episode 2, the duchess does briefly open up about the special significance of the Sussex name to her family. Specifically, she says she no longer goes by Meghan Markle — and explained the name change to visiting friend Mindy Kaling.
Reintroducing Meghan
On With Love (which dropped on March 4), Meghan and Kaling bond over having young children as they plan a delicious garden tea party. They also look back to their favorite childhood foods, with Meghan saying she was a fan of Pollo Loco, Taco Bell, and Jack in the Box growing up.
“I don’t think anyone in the world knows that Meghan Markle has eaten Jack in the Box and loves it,” Kaling says, surprised.
“It’s so funny too that you keep saying ‘Meghan Markle.’ You know I’m Sussex now,” Meghan clarifies while preparing tea sandwiches.
It’s not clear when — or in what capacity — Meghan changed her name, but she attributes her desire to go by Sussex to becoming a mom. “You have kids and you go, No, I share my name with my children,” she explains in the episode. “And that feels so... 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.”
Meghan voiced similar sentiments in her People cover story, which was published on March 3.
“I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me,” she said, adding that Sussex “is part of our love story.”
The Sussex Family
The royal family’s website indeed identifies Harry and Meghan as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, writing that Queen Elizabeth II gave them the titles on their wedding day in 2018. Their children are Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.
The focus on Meghan’s new name reflects one of With Love's big themes: personal rediscovery. “As a woman, a mom and a wife, to be able to find yourself again — in a way that was always present but that you maybe couldn’t put as much attention on as you now can when your kids are a little bit older — is a wonderful feeling,” she told People.
