Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has made another significant clarification regarding her preferred name during the first day of an Australian tour with her husband, Prince Harry. According to media reports from Australia, the Duchess explicitly requested to be called "Meg" when asked how she should be addressed by reporters and attendees.
Name Clarification During Melbourne Visit
The name request occurred on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, during the couple's visit to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. When questioned about their preferred forms of address, Prince Harry responded with a casual shrug, stating, "However you like." Meghan, however, offered a more specific suggestion, telling those present, "Call me Meg."
Continuation of Name Evolution
This latest request represents a continuation of the Duchess's ongoing efforts to distance herself from her maiden name. Just over a year prior to this Australian tour, Meghan had publicly announced that she no longer wished to be known as Meghan Markle. She emphasized this preference during an episode of her Netflix cooking and lifestyle show, as well as in subsequent interviews with Drew Barrymore and People magazine.
"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," Meghan explained to Mindy Kaling during the Netflix episode, highlighting her connection to her official title and family identity.
Royal Titles and Their Usage
Prince Harry and Meghan received their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from Queen Elizabeth II upon their marriage in 2018. Following their wedding, media outlets frequently used Markle's maiden name to identify her, a practice similar to how Catherine, Princess of Wales, was often referred to as Kate Middleton before King Charles III's accession to the throne.
When the couple stepped down from their royal duties in 2020, they were permitted to retain their titles but were instructed to cease developing their "SussexRoyal" brand and to stop marketing themselves as such. They also lost the right to be addressed as His or Her Royal Highness (HRH). Despite these restrictions, there remains no official impediment to using their titles as a surname, as other members of the royal family have done.
Current Australian Tour Details
The current four-day visit to Australia has been described by British media as a "faux-royal" tour, contrasting with the couple's first official royal visit to the country in 2018. According to reports from The Guardian, this trip consists primarily of private events with high ticket prices, differing significantly from traditional royal engagements.
The name clarification comes as the Duke and Duchess navigate their post-royal lives while maintaining their public profiles. Meghan's preference for "Meg" appears to represent a further step in establishing her identity separate from both her maiden name and the formal royal protocols associated with her title.
