Several experts have weighed in on Meghan Markle being announced by her Duchess of Sussex title.
Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail that Meghan’s actions break royal protocol. In reality the Harper Bazaar’s journalist should have been announced to Meghan — rather than the duchess being announced. (Debrett’s etiquette guide states something similar.)
“Meghan wants to have a halo in the interview by saying nothing nasty about anyone and being full of positive thoughts,” he told the publication. “However, in her use of her title in this pricelessly comic way she speaks volumes about herself. She could be alone and be announced.”
Original story continues below:
Meghan Markle apparently gets announced by her title — Duchess of Sussex — when entering a new location. At least, according to her recent Harper’s Bazaar cover story. But it seems that’s not out of the ordinary.
“From an etiquette standpoint, using a British title either socially or professionally globally — including the U.S. — is not unusual or improper,” etiquette expert Myka Meier told Us Weekly exclusively. “Especially, when the person is widely known by that title.”
Meier further explained, “The choice of how each member of the royal family wishes to be addressed is ultimately up to that individual.”
In Meghan’s case specifically, “her title would be the formal way of address which is likely how her team was trained to introduce her,” Meier added. “It is more a matter of personal style or preference of each titled person.”
Meghan’s cover story dropped on Wednesday, November 19, and the main image featured the duchess wearing a black blazer with a belt, sitting on a black stool. “Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Meets Her Moment,” the coverline read.
Within the story, journalist Kaitlyn Greenidge recalled Meghan being announced by her title on two separate occasions — the first when they meet at the La Brea Tar Pits and the section when Greenidge is meeting Meghan at a friend’s home.
“A golf cart pulls up, the gravel crunching beneath its tires. ‘The Duchess of Sussex,’ someone in the scrum announces,” the profile reads — this is the first instance of her title. “Meghan descends, dressed in wide-leg trousers, a silk blouse, and a small pair of pavé-diamond studs by the Ukrainian brand Guzema. They were a gift from her husband, Prince Harry, picked up on a recent trip to Kyiv with his Invictus Games Foundation.”
The second came about halfway into the piece.
“We’re in a grand brownstone on the Upper East Side that belongs to one of Meghan’s friends,” Greenidge wrote. “When I enter, the house manager announces, ‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex,’ even though we appear to be the only other two people in the house.”
Meghan’s name has been a hot topic this year, since her Netflix show With Love, Meghan premiered in March. Guest Mindy Kaling, continued referring to her friend as “Meghan Markle” in her episode during the first season.
“You keep saying, ‘Meghan Markle.’ You know I’m ‘Sussex’ now?” Meghan said at one point. Meghan’s name did technically change when she married Prince Harry in 2018.
“I share my [‘Sussex’] name with my children,” Meghan said during the same episode. “I didn’t know how meaningful it would be to me, but it just means so much to say, ‘This is our family name!’”
Months later, Meghan got the opportunity to clarify the name debacle after her clip with Kaling continued to go viral.
“Are you Meghan Sussex? Are you Meghan, Duchess of Sussex?” Emily Chang asked Meghan on The Circuit in August. “Is Markle even on your passport anymore? Is it, we don’t use that term anymore?”
Meghan made it clear that “Sussex” was the surname she was going by.
“It’s a complicated one for people to understand, because a last name is not typical in that [royal] construct,” she explained. “It’s used roughly, or loosely, rather. It sounds so silly to say.”
Meghan added, “I get it, because I’m American and then I went there and I started to understand. But then you come back and as an American, you go, ‘I’m so confused.’ It’s a dukedom.”
