Wow, we didn’t know this yet!
Not all royals use their full name given at birth. Did you know, for example, that Princess Laurentien’s official name is Petra Laurentien? Princess Amalia does not use her full first name, which is Catharina-Amalia. Duchess Meghan also does not use her full name, but what that full name is…
Meghan Markle
Duchess Meghan was born Rachel Meghan Markle on August 4, 1981. Her official first name is therefore not Meghan, but Rachel. For fans of the Duchess or the series ‘Suits’, the name Rachel may seem familiar. The Duchess has acted in the past, including in the series ‘Suits’. In this series she played the role of lawyer Rachel Zane. A name that was not only played as a role, but is also her actual name.
Duke and Duchess
Meghan and her husband Prince Harry both retain their titles as Duke and Duchess of Sussex, despite stepping back from their duties as working royals. Due to her marriage, Meghan uses this title more often than Markle, her own surname. Their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have also been given the surname of Prince Harry since this year.
From Sussex
Harry and Meghan’s children were named Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor at birth, but now they are called Sussex. When Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022, the children were already given the titles of prince and princess. Now the couple’s children are fully named Archie of Sussex and Lilibet of Sussex.
According to royal family expert Tirza van der Graaf, it is striking that Meghan and Harry are giving their children this ‘new’ surname. “At first they wanted their children to grow up in the shelter as much as possible, without titles. While Prince Harry and Meghan now give the name they received upon their marriage: Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The couple may want to make it clear that they form one family, with royal titles.”
Source: Blue Blood | Image: NL Image
