Meghan Markle given stark warning on using surprising new royal name in UK
Meghan Markle has been issued a warning about using her new name in the UK by a PR expert.
Last week, Meghan announced in her Netflix show, which has been panned by critics, that she is no longer going by the surname Markle but Sussex – in a nod to her royal title, the Duchess of Sussex. She also doubled down on the new moniker, explaining how meaningful the name is in an interview. While during an appearance on the Drew Barrymore Show on US TV last week, the former child actress also referred to her as ‘Meghan Sussex’. The move is said to have raised eyebrows, with one palace insider referring to it as a “warning shot”.
And according to PR expert Ed Coram-James, the CEO of Go Up, there is one clear reason for the change amid the launch of Meghan’s new lifestyle brand As Ever – and the products that go with it. He told the Mirror: “The Sussex title is a valuable asset for Meghan, and she knows it.
“If she dropped it and simply went by ‘Meghan Markle,’ the impact on her brand would be noticeable. The reality is, Meghan and Harry stepped away from royal duties, yet she continues to use the title because it carries weight.
“Dropping the Sussex name would be a mistake from a business perspective. It’s what makes her memoirs, podcasts, and TV deals more marketable. Hollywood, the media, and the public are fascinated with royalty, and that intrigue is what gives Meghan a platform.”
But despite the weight that the Sussex name carries for Meghan, Ed added that it could be a strategic move not to use it while in the UK. He explained: “In Britain, dropping the title could be a strategic way to gain respect and move past criticism that she is profiting from royal connections. However, in America, where the fascination with royalty is so strong, the Sussex name is a key part of her public appeal.”
The first hint of the new name came in with Love, Meghan, when the Duchess corrected actress Mindy Kaling regarding her name. As the pair discuss fast food in the second episode, Mindy says: “People wouldn’t believe that Meghan Markle ate at Jack in the Box.”
To which Meghan replies: “It’s so funny, too, that 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’.”
According to royal expert Jennie Bond, the moment she interrupted Mindy in the Netflix show was a very telling moment. The former BBC royal correspondent told the Mirror: “I thought it was rather a pointed remark to make so publicly to a friend – she could have just halted the filming for a moment and privately corrected her guest. But she makes a fair argument: that some women feel it’s important for the family to have a shared surname.
“As it happens, I don’t. I’ve never understood why a woman should be expected to change her name just because she marries. But I’m probably in the minority.”
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