Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s REAL names revealed – as Duchess insists she wants to be called Sussex

When she turned up on set to make star-shaped sandwiches and a fruit platter in the shape of a rainbow, writer and comedian Mindy Kaling did not expect to be lectured about Meghan Markle’s surname.

‘It’s so funny you keep saying Meghan Markle, you know I’m Sussex now,’ the Duchess told her ‘friend’ with a forced smile.

‘You have kids, and you go, “No, I share my name with my children”. I didn’t know how meaningful it would be, but it just means so much to go, “This is our family name, our little family name”.’ 

‘Well, now I know,’ Mindy stuttered, ‘and I love it.’

And just in case you missed it, Drew Barrymore introduced the former royal on her show later in the week as ‘Meghan Sussex’.

Harry and Meghan were bestowed their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after they wed in 2018. They have only ever officially visited the region once – for just six hours – after a whistle-stop tour in October 2018.

Unsurprisingly, Meghan’s insistence on using the title Sussex as a surname has caused a stir among royal fans due to her limited connection with the county, with many suggesting her last name is actually ‘Mountbatten-Windsor’.

Here, Mail Online takes an in-depth look at what the Duke and Duchess’s real names are (not Harry or Meghan!) – and what royal protocol dictates about her claim to the Sussex moniker.

In the second episode of ‘With Love, Meghan’, Meghan tells writer and comedian Mindy Kaling that she goes by the surname Sussex

The pair, who are both mothers, prepare star-shaped sandwiches and a fruit platter in the shape of a rainbow for a children’s party

Drew Barrymore refers to Meghan Markle by the moniker ‘Meghan Sussex’ during her talk show

Rachel Meghan Markle was born in West Park Hospital in Los Angeles, California, on August 4, 1981. 

Although the former Suits star has never confirmed why she uses her middle name instead of her first name, it is suggested she prefers Meghan to Rachel, opting to use it as a professional credit throughout her acting career.

Between 2011 and 2018, the actress appeared in the end credits of legal drama Suits as Meghan Markle. Coincidentally, she shares her real first name with the character she played on the show – highly-ambitious lawyer Rachel Zane.

Prince Henry Charles Albert David was born at St Mary’s Hospital in London on September 15, 1984, and, as per royal tradition, he did not have a last name written on his birth certificate.

At the time his parents, the then Prince Charles and Princess Diana, shared that their younger son would be known by a diminutive form of his first name, Harry. Whilst growing up, Harry was only referred to as Henry as a firm warning when he was in trouble.

Throughout his time at Eton, the young prince was referred to as Harry Wales – a nod to his father’s title as Charles, the Prince of Wales.

And while serving as a helicopter pilot in the Army, he was known as Captain Harry Wales.

Members of the Royal Family – indeed, the peerage generally – often use their dukedom or title as a ‘shorthand surname’.

Prince Henry Charles Albert David was born at St Mary’s Hospital in London on September 15, 1984

His parents said he would be referred to as Harry – unless he was being particularly cheeky 

Rachel Meghan Markle was born at West Park Hospital in Los Angeles, California on August 4, 1981

The actress went by Meghan Markle while appearing on Suits – although she shared her real first name with her character Rachel Zane

The couple’s real names, Henry and Rachel, are still used on official documents, including their marriage certificate

But the couple’s real names, Henry and Rachel, are still used on official documents, including their marriage certificate. 

Signed by the ex-Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, it declares that ‘HRH Prince Henry of Wales’ married ‘Rachel Meghan Markle’ on May 19, 2018, ‘in the Queen’s Free Chapel of St George’.

When Harry and Meghan welcomed their first child Archie into the world, they were referred to as ‘Henry’ and ‘Rachel’ on his birth certificate.

The baby’s last name was also recorded as ‘Mountbatten-Windsor’ – the official last name of the Royal Family – rather than ‘Sussex’.

In a recent article, the Mail’s Royal Editor Rebecca English explained: ‘This dates back to 1960 when Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh decided they would like their own direct descents to be distinguished from the rest of the Royal Family, without changing the name of the Royal House (which had been Windsor since 1917, after George V anglicised the name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha as a result of anti-German public sentiment).

‘And so it was declared in the Privy Council that the Queen’s descendants would add a hyphenated “Mountbatten” to reflect Prince Philip’s surname, which he himself took on in 1947 when he became a naturalised Briton.’

However, members of the Royal Family entitled to the style of HRH Prince or Princess often opt to use their title as a shorthand surname instead.

Prince William, for example, has also always used the named Wales, and his children are simply known as George Wales, Charlotte Wales and Louis Wales at school.

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born at Portland Hospital in London on May 6, 2019

As per royal tradition, his last name ‘Mountbatten-Windsor’ reflects a decision made by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1960

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were referred to as ‘Henry’ and ‘Rachel’ on his Archie’s certificate

Before they got married, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie also used the surname York, taken from their father, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.

It is, therefore, not surprising that Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet would be known as Sussex.

Wendy Bosberry-Scott, editor of Debrett’s Peerage and Baronetage, said: ‘The official surname of the Royal Family is Mountbatten-Windsor. 

‘However, it has long been the practice of the Royal Family, and indeed the peerage, to use a title as a surname where one is available.

‘Now that he is the Duke of Sussex, it is perfectly within protocol for him to use Harry Sussex and for his wife to use Meghan Sussex. 

‘This is no different from the Duke of Norfolk calling himself Edward Norfolk, when his surname is Howard.’

Explaining to Mindy why the surname is so personal, Meghan spoke of the connection it symbolises between herself, Prince Harry – who she lovingly refers to as ‘H’ – and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

‘You have kids, and you go, “No, I share my name with my children”,’ the Duchess told The Office star. ‘I didn’t know how meaningful it would be, but it just means so much to go, “This is our family name, our little family name”.’ 

Now living in California, Meghan confirmed that the family have incorporated their title as a surname

Harry and Meghan were bestowed the Sussex title by the late Queen Elizabeth II on their wedding day in 2018

‘With Love, Meghan’ aired on Netflix on March 4

The Duchess of Sussex further emphasised the meaning behind her last name in a recent interview with People Magazine.

‘I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together,’ she said. ‘It means a lot to me.’

But the Duchess’s insistence on using her title as a surname has caused a stir among royal fans.

Many have questioned her decision to adopt ‘Sussex’ as her family name despite the couple’s limited connection to the county.

One royal fan mused: ‘Her name is NOT Meghan Sussex. Her name is technically Rachel Mountbatten-Windsor. Sussex is a county in England & part of a courtesy title – NOT her last name.’

Another was shocked at how Meghan had hit out at her friend: ‘So who criticizes a guest like that? And her last name is not Sussex. Wouldn’t it be Mountbatten-Windsor?’

A third wrote: ‘”Duchess of Sussex” is a courtesy title she holds only through her marriage. 

‘It is not her surname and I’m quite sure she doesn’t have “Meghan Sussex” on her California driver’s licence. Legally her last name should be Mountbatten-Windsor.’

The Duchess’s insistence on using her title as a surname has caused a stir among royal fans

On this week’s special episode of Palace Confidential, The Mail’s Diary Editor Richard Eden described Meghan’s announcement that she has taken the name Sussex as one of the few ‘genuinely interesting’ parts of her new Netflix series – which has received an audience score of 12 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing.

‘That was news to all of us because we didn’t realise that they were using those titles,’ the royal expert said.

‘Archie and Lilibet, on their birth certificates it says Mountbatten-Windsor which is the Royal Family surname but since they became the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the family can also use the Sussex title.

‘They have obviously chosen to use the Sussex name in the same way that Harry used to be known as Harry Wales when he was in the Armed Forces.’