Meghan Markle is embracing the Sussex family name and making sure everyone knows it.
In her new Netflix series With Love, the Duchess of Sussex teams up with her longtime friend Mindy Kaling to throw a children’s garden party filled with fun activities. The two first connected when Kaling appeared on Meghan’s Archetypes podcast in 2022, and their friendship has since flourished.
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During the show, Meghan, 43, reflected on her childhood, revealing that she was a “latchkey kid” who grew up on TV dinners and fast food. “I was a latchkey kid,” she shared. “I grew up with fast food and TV tray dinners, microwavable kids’ meals… Taco Bell, Jack in the Box.”
Kaling, 45, playfully responded, “People wouldn’t believe that Meghan Markle ate at Jack in the Box.”
Laughing, Meghan corrected her, “It’s so funny, too, that you keep saying Meghan Markle. You know I’m Sussex now.”
She went on to explain the deep significance of sharing the Sussex surname with her children. “You have kids and you go, ‘No, I share my name with my children,’” she said. “I didn’t realize how meaningful that would be to me, but it just means so much that this is our family name, our little family name.”
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Meghan further opened up about what the Sussex name means to her. “I love that it’s something Archie, Lili, H, and I all share. It means a lot to me,” she said. She also called it a special part of their love story, adding, “As the kids grow older, they’ll be excited to ask, ‘Oh my gosh, Mama and Papa, how did you meet?’ And I think that will be a beautiful story to tell.”
Meghan and Prince Harry were granted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles by Queen Elizabeth following their 2018 wedding. Their children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, carry the Sussex surname, much like Harry once used “Wales” as his last name during school, following his father King Charles’ former title, Prince of Wales.
Initially, the couple’s children were known as “Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor” and “Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.” However, after King Charles’ ascension in September 2022, they were granted prince and princess titles, which Meghan and Harry officially used for the first time in March 2023 during Lilibet’s christening announcement. Their names were subsequently updated on the royal family’s official website to “Prince Archie of Sussex” and “Princess Lilibet of Sussex.”
As fellow moms, Meghan and Kaling bonded over parenting. Meghan emphasized how much she values being present for her children, saying, “It’s a real delight to be a present parent. It’s a luxury because we all have to work.”
Kaling, who attended the 2025 Golden Globes in January, also shared a sweet moment about Meghan’s generosity. She recalled how Meghan invited her to be on With Love shortly after she had given birth. “When you hang out with Meghan, you know the food is going to be good,” Kaling said. “And I was like, ‘I’ll come to Montecito, have you cook for me, and visit your garden.’ And that’s what we did.”
