How royal surnames actually work as Meghan Markle reveals she’s changed hers

Following the revelation that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex share a new surname with their two children, some followers of the monarchy have been left confused about the royal rules that are in place for titles.

Speaking to PEOPLE Magazine this week, 43-year-old Meghan - who shares son Archie, five, and three-year-old daughter Lilibet with husband Prince Harry - revealed that the family had been using 'Sussex' as their official surname.

The moniker was officially bestowed on the couple by Harry's late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, on their 2018 wedding day.

Discussing the name ahead of the release of her new Netflix series With Love, Meghan, the mum-of-two told the publication it holds much significance to her.

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

The former Suits actress added that the title is 'part of our love story', admitting: "It means a lot to me."

Following Meghan's news, some of you might be wondering what her family's surname would have been if the late Queen didn't issue then with a joint title. Or, more generally, what the royal rules of names and titles actually are.

Where do royal surnames come from?

The institution's official website explains that Royal Family members have the option to either be known 'by the name of the Royal House' or 'by a surname' - adding that, often, these are different things.

King George V started going by the name 'Windsor' in 1917 (The Print Collector via Getty Images)

In 1917, King George V (Queen Elizabeth's grandfather) adopted the name 'Windsor' as his family's official surname in order to distance himself from his German heritage in the midst of WWI, having previously been known as George Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

The 'Windsor' name was chosen due to the royals' connection to the palace of the same name.

'Mountbatten' and 'Wales'

Then, following Queen Elizabeth's marriage to Prince Philip, the couple decided to add his family's title into the mix, changing their official surname to 'Mountbatten-Windsor'.

This should have meant that Prince William and Harry also took this title - but, to complicate things further, they were given a different name altogether when they started attending school.

The brothers were, instead, known as William Wales and Harry Wales - being that their father, Charles, was known as the Prince of Wales, and they hadn't yet been given their official Duke of Cambridge/Sussex titles.

Royal surnames today

The brothers went by William and Harry Wales while at school (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

While we might have harped on about royal rules on names, in reality, the monikers of monarchs are pretty much anyone's game, and often chop and change depending on the occasion.

Here are where the names of the current top dogs stand, however.

Kate Middleton

You might know her casually with her maiden name as 'Kate Middleton', or even 'Catherine Middleton' if you're feeling fancy.

But after tying the knot with William in 2011, she officially became 'Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge' - and later, the 'Princess of Wales', after The Queen died in 2022.

Interestingly, she has never referred to herself as 'Kate/Catherine Mountbatten-Windsor', and upon signing the birth certificates of her three children, she wrote her first and surname as 'Catherine Elizabeth, Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge'.

Prince William

George, Charlotte and Louis followed in their father's footsteps (Samir Hussein/WireImage)

As mentioned, the future King is pretty spoiled for choice. He could either go by the 'Prince of Wales' or the 'Duke of Cambridge' and omit his surname completely, or continue going by his school name, William Wales.

On his children's birth certificates, he signed, 'His Royal Highness Prince William Arthur Philip Louis Duke of Cambridge'. I know, quite the mouthful.

Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte

William and Kate's three youngsters are known as such behind the gates of the palace - but, like their father, they go by the surname 'Wales' while attending school. So, George Wales, Charlotte Wales, and Louis Wales.

The eldest, George, was previously known by George Cambridge until his great-grandma The Queen's death.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

As we say, Harry could have either continued using his school name - Harry Wales - or changed his surname to 'Sussex' after he and Meghan tied the knot.

Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet go by the surname 'Sussex' (Toby Melville - Pool/Getty Images)

The nuptials meant that the couple automatically became the 'Duke and Duchess of Sussex the Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel', prompting them to choose the latter, and start going by 'Sussex' - as Meghan explained this week.

While their kids, Archie and Lilibet, were originally given The late Queen's preference - and were named Mountbatten-Windsor after their births - Meghan revealed this week they'd been changed to 'Sussex', too.