‘Reason why’ Meghan Markle’s kids Archie and Lilibet have two different surnames

Ever since Meghan Markle revealed she and her husband Prince Harry changed their children's surnames, it's caused quite the stir online.

While it may just be a matter of confusion of the royal protocol when it comes to name changes, it's clear people are beyond up in arms over the latest news concerning Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet's monikers.

So, to help clear some things up, we thought it best to explain the 'reason' as to why the five-year-old and his three-year-old sister have two different surnames.

Now, all the fuss came about when Duchess of Sussex recently opened up about the personal significance of her family-of-four all having the same surname.

In a recent interview with PEOPLE, the Suits star explained that the Sussex surname - which was bestowed upon her and Harry by the late Queen Elizabeth II on their wedding day back in 2018 - 'means a lot' to her and her Harry.

"It’s our shared name as a family, and I guess I hadn’t recognised how meaningful that would be to me until we had children," Meghan shared. "I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me."

She added that the Sussex name is 'part of our love story'.

Confusion over the situation only furthered after people watched an episode of Meghan's new Netflix lifestyle series With Love, Meghan, she explained to her friend Mindy Kaling more about her choice of surname.

"I don't think anyone in the world knows that Meghan Markle has eaten Jack In The Box and loves it," Mindy said in response to an admission Meghan made about eating the takeout food.

Meghan pointed out that she found it 'funny' that Mindy called her 'Meghan Markle'.

"It's so funny you keep saying Meghan Markle, you know I'm Sussex now," she explained. "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'."

In response, Mindy said: "Well, now I know and I love it."

Now, after leaving the monarchy, the Queen reportedly asked Meghan and Harry to refrain from using the brand name 'Sussex Royal' which was previously their Instagram handle and the name of their website.

The pair later chose to use 'Archewell' for their website and production company.

Archie and Lilibet's titles, which were originally Mountbatten-Windsor, changed when King Charles III took the throne, meaning the two children moved up in the line of succession and received the new titles of Prince and Princess of Sussex after previously being Master Archie and Miss Lilibet.

So, what's the meaning behind the double-barrelled 'Mountbatten-Windsor' surname which is on the two children's birth certificates?

Well, it's a royal family name, which is commonly used by members of the royal family without HRH or prince/princess titles - hence why the pair were given this surname at birth.

The name itself is a combination of 'Mountbatten' from the late Prince Philip’s side, and 'Windsor' from the late Queen Elizabeth II's family.

It's tradition for British princes and princesses to use their parents' titles as last names - something both Harry and Prince William did who went by 'William Wales' and 'Harry Wales' in school.

So, by adopting the Sussex surname, Meghan and Harry - who are the 'Duke and Duchess of Sussex' - are simply following tradition while being able to finally all share the same last name as a family unit.

Don’t have Netflix? If you want to watch With Love, Meghan in the UK, you can sign up for a Sky Essential TV bundle that includes Netflix for £15 per month. If you’re based in the US, you can tune in with Verizon’s bestselling Netflix and Max bundle ($10 per month). T&Cs apply.