When Mindy Kaling sat down for a casual chat with Meghan Markle on the second episode of her Netflix show With Love, Meghan, no one expected a conversation about fast food to suddenly veer into a very awkward moment about surnames.
But that’s exactly what happened—and it left not only Mindy a bit puzzled but also a lot of viewers.
As they joked about their go-to guilty pleasure meals, Kaling referred to her friend as “Meghan Markle.”
That’s when Meghan cut in, rather pointedly: “It’s so funny you keep saying ‘Meghan Markle.’ You know I’m Sussex now.”
Mindy, visibly confused, tried to laugh it off, but the moment lingered awkwardly.
Meghan Explains Why “Sussex” Matters to Her Now
Meghan didn’t stop there. She opened up about how her surname now aligns with her children and how that shift has come to mean a lot to her.
“You have kids and you go, ‘No, I share my name with my children,’” she said.
“I didn’t know how meaningful it would be to me, but it just means so much to go, ‘This is our family name.’”
Now, here’s the twist: Meghan has only been to the English county of Sussex once—and yet, she’s now claiming it as her official surname.
Meanwhile, her children, Archie and Lilibet, have always been listed as Mountbatten-Windsor on their birth certificates.
Why Include That Awkward Exchange in a Pre-Recorded Show?
Let’s not forget—Meghan’s Netflix series isn’t live.
It’s pre-recorded and edited months in advance.
So it raises an interesting question: Why did Meghan and her production team choose to keep in that cringey moment with Mindy?
According to royal insiders, that exchange wasn’t just left in—it was left in deliberately.
It seems to be sending a not-so-subtle message.
As one Palace source put it, it was “clearly a warning shot,” making sure the world—and the Royal Family—noticed how seriously Meghan is now embracing the Sussex title.
Behind the Scenes: Harry Tried to Change His Family Name to Spencer
There’s more going on behind this name shift than meets the eye.
According to reports, Prince Harry actually explored the possibility of dropping Mountbatten-Windsor altogether and taking on his late mother Princess Diana’s maiden name—Spencer.
He even went as far as to seek advice from Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, during a rare visit to the UK.
But the Earl reportedly talked him out of it, pointing out that legally it would be a difficult and messy change.
Why Harry and Meghan Are Doubling Down on “Sussex”
After that conversation, sources say Harry and Meghan landed on a simpler solution: start using Sussex as their family name.
So now, according to a close friend, the couple refers to their children as “Archie and Lili Sussex.”
It’s a subtle but powerful shift—and one that insiders believe was calculated.
This public rebranding may have been Meghan and Harry’s way of establishing an identity separate from the Royal Family, while still clinging to the royal-sounding weight of their Duke and Duchess titles.
A Title That Now Carries Heavy Symbolism
Royal insiders see Meghan’s comments as more than just personal reflection.
One Palace aide interpreted it as Meghan underlining just how emotionally tied she and Harry are to their titles.
By emphasizing “Sussex” as a family name, the couple may be drawing a line in the sand—don’t take our titles, or this gets ugly.
It’s no secret that the idea of stripping the Sussexes of their royal titles has been floated before—especially after explosive moments like Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare in 2023 and that bombshell Oprah interview in 2021.
Dropping the Mountbatten-Windsor Name Hits a Nerve
If Harry and Meghan’s new surname strategy seems petty or dramatic, consider the emotional weight of Mountbatten-Windsor.
The name was created in 1960 by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip to reflect both sides of the royal family tree.
It was a historic compromise, combining the Queen’s name, Windsor, with Philip’s chosen surname, Mountbatten.
King Charles reportedly feels deeply connected to the Mountbatten legacy, especially because of his close bond with his great-uncle, Lord Mountbatten, who was assassinated by the IRA in 1979.
So, Harry abandoning that name doesn’t just feel like a personal decision—it’s likely seen by the King as a rejection of family history.
Tensions Rise as the Name Shift Becomes a Statement
For the Royal Family, Harry and Meghan’s quiet rebranding as “The Sussexes” could be interpreted as yet another provocation.
In the palace’s eyes, it’s not just about branding—it’s about loyalty, legacy, and power.
And if Charles or Prince William were ever to take the controversial step of revoking the couple’s titles altogether, Harry and Meghan’s message is now clear: they’re ready for that fight.