Meghan Markle sparked online buzz when she jokingly corrected Mindy Kaling for calling her “Meghan Markle” instead of “Meghan Sussex” during Season 1 of her Netflix cooking series, With Love, Meghan.

Later, in an interview, she explained that she adopted “Sussex” as a family name to share an identity with Prince Harry and their two children.

Even with her explanation, confusion lingered, leading Markle to revisit the topic during an appearance on The Circuit with Emily Chang, where she confirmed that her legal last name is officially tied to her royal title.

Clearing Up the Confusion

During her conversation with Chang, Markle was asked directly if “Sussex” was truly her surname. As Tyla reported, she responded:
“It’s not, but it’s used loosely or roughly rather. It sounds so silly to say, and I get it ‘cos I’m American, and then I went there and I started to understand, then you come back and as an American, you go ‘I’m so confused.'”

She went on to clarify, “It’s a dukedom, and that’s the truth of it. But at the end of the day, yes, my legal name is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, but Sussex works for us as our family name, and it is the name we share with our children.”

The Netflix Moment With Mindy Kaling

The debate over her last name began when Markle corrected Kaling on the second episode of her Netflix show. While recalling her childhood as a latchkey kid who often relied on microwave meals, Kaling joked, “I don’t think anyone in the world knows that Meghan Markle has eaten at Jack in the Box.”