Now that the royal wedding hype is starting to die down, the world has turned its attention from what Prince Harry whispered at the altar to the nitty gritty: Meghan Markle’s new name.
We know the royal couple’s official titles – the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – but what about Meghan’s new surname?
As it happens, most royals actually don’t go by a last name, but if needed, they will sometimes go by their royal house instead.
When Prince William and Prince Harry were at school, for instance, they would go by ‘Wales’ as their father was the Prince of Wales. Similarly, Prince George is listed at school with the last name ‘Cambridge’ as his father is the Duke of Cambridge.
Alternatively, the Queen’s official surname is Mountbatten-Windsor, which is also used by members of the royal family who do not have another option.
According to the official royal website:
“The Royal Family name of Windsor was confirmed by The Queen after her accession in 1952. However, in 1960, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh decided that they would like their own direct descendants to be distinguished from the rest of the Royal Family (without changing the name of the Royal House), as Windsor is the surname used by all the male and unmarried female descendants of George V. It was therefore declared in the Privy Council that The Queen’s descendants, other than those with the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince/Princess, or female descendants who marry, would carry the name of Mountbatten-Windsor.”
So officially, Meghan no longer has a surname. She said goodbye to ‘Markle’ over the weekend and has the option of welcoming ‘Sussex’, as her full title is now Her Royal Highness, Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex.
Surnames. So civilian, am I right?
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