As she was welcomed onto the show, judge Poh Ling Yeow introduced her as “the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle” before asking how she would actually like to be addressed.
“Do we call you Duchess?” Yeow asked.
“Oh, call me Meghan,” she replied with a smile.
The exchange was consistent with the approach Meghan and Prince Harry have taken since stepping back from their roles as senior working members of the royal family in 2020. Although they continue to hold the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which were bestowed upon them by Queen Elizabeth II when they married in 2018, they often encourage people to use their first names during public appearances.
While Meghan appears relaxed about how people address her in conversation, she has previously explained that the surname “Sussex” carries special personal meaning.
The topic came up during her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, when actress Mindy Kaling repeatedly referred to her as “Meghan Markle.” Meghan gently corrected her, explaining that she now considers Sussex to be her family name.
“It’s so funny, too, that you keep saying Meghan Markle. You know I’m Sussex now,” she said.
She went on to explain why the name has become so important to her, particularly after becoming a mother.
“I share my name with my children. I didn’t know how meaningful that would be to me, but it just means so much to go, ‘This is our family name, our little family name.'”
After marrying Prince Harry in 2018, Meghan became officially styled as Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. While “Duchess of Sussex” is her formal royal title, she has said that Sussex has become the surname she associates with her immediate family.
The MasterChef Australia episode also included a surprise appearance by Prince Harry, who joined Meghan during the filming, delighting contestants and viewers alike.
Since the couple stepped back from royal duties and relocated to the United States, there have periodically been public discussions about whether they should retain their royal titles. However, despite recurring calls from some critics for those titles to be removed, doing so would involve a complex constitutional process. Any effort to strip the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of their titles would require legislation passed by the UK Parliament, making such a change far from straightforward.
For Meghan, however, the latest television appearance suggested that while formal titles are not especially important in everyday conversation, the name “Sussex” remains deeply meaningful because of the connection it represents with Prince Harry and their children.