Meghan Markle’s announcement that she is called “Sussex now” in her Netflix show was a thinly veiled “threat” aimed at the Royal Family amid the latest surname row, sources have claimed. The Duchess of Sussex, who has only visited the county Prince Harry’s Dukedom is named after once, raised eyebrows after an awkward exchange with one of her Hollywood pals during an episode of her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan.
Meghan’s friend, actress Mindy Kaling, joined her in one of her episodes where she addressed her by her maiden name, Meghan Markle. Meghan was seen correcting her friend, saying: “It’s so funny you keep saying, Meghan Markle. You know, I’m Sussex now.
“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.'”
At the time, Meghan’s comment raised eyebrows as the Sussexes weren’t known to use Sussex as their family name but the official royal family surname, Mountbatten-Windsor, instead.
The last name is available to all descendants of the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. It combines the Royal Family’s name of Windsor and the late Duke’s adopted surname of Mountbatten.
Now, according to the Daily Mail, Meghan’s remark was a “warning shot” at the Royal Family after a recent family name row came into the spotlight.
The paper’s Diary Editor, Richard Eden, claimed that Harry and Meghan chose the last name Sussex after his efforts to secure Spencer, as a last name for his children, did not go to plan.
Harry reportedly “discussed the issue” with his uncle and the late Diana, Princess of Wales’s brother, Charles, Earl Spencer, and “actively explored ways” on how to make the change during a visit to Britain – the date of which was unspecified.
The Mail on Sunday reported last week that Harry was told that “the legal hurdles were insurmountable” but sources from the Sussex camp have now dismissed the latest claim and said it is “completely untrue”.
However, the outlet claimed that sources said: “They had a very amicable conversation and Spencer advised him against taking such a step.
“Harry accepted his uncle’s advice that using the Spencer name would be too complicated. He and Meghan are now using Sussex as their family name. Their children are Archie and Lili Sussex.”
Meanwhile, the Guardian reported this week that Harry’s move was a result of “sheer exasperation” after Archie and Lilibet’s UK passports took six months to be issued after the initial applications, with lawyers for the Sussexes allegedly sending a letter and “threatening to pursue a data subject access request”, due to them bearing their HRH titles.
Regarding Meghan’s declaration that is is “Sussex now” in her Netflix show, a Palace source told the Mail that it was “clearly a warning shot”, suggesting that it’s the “clearest threat” yet to the Firm about stripping them of their titles.