The Palace Was 'Baffled' By Meghan Markle's Name-Change Remarks

On Monday (February 1), Meghan Markle spoke out after reports surfaced that she quietly changed her name on her son Archie's birth certificate. The Sun revealed Meghan removed her first and middle names—Rachel Meghan—from Archie's birth certificate, leaving only her official title—Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex. This wasn't a recent change, either. The birth certificate was originally registered on May 17, 2019, shortly after Archie's birth, and the change occurred on June 5, 2019.

After rumors started swirling that Meghan changed her name as a slight against her sister-in-law Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Sussex released a strongly worded statement shutting down the speculation. “The change of name on public documents in 2019 was dictated by The Palace, as confirmed by documents from senior Palace officials. This was not requested by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex nor by The Duke of Sussex," the statement, which was shared by royal reporter Omid Scobie on Twitter, reads. "To see this U.K. tabloid and their carnival of so-called ‘experts’…whip this into a calculated family ‘snub’ and suggest that she would oddly want to be nameless on her child's birth certificate…would be laughable were it not offensive." 

While Meghan's statement denied she changed her name to snub Kate, a source with insider knowledge of the Royal Family claims the statement left the Palace "baffled." According to Page Six's source, the Palace "did not dictate anything, this amendment was made by staff within their former office at Kensington Palace and higher-ups at Buckingham Palace were always kept in the loop.”

Another source confirmed the Palace had nothing to do with the name change, stating, “The birth certificate was changed by the former Office of The Duke and Duchess to ensure consistency in the name and title of The Duchess of Sussex with other private documents.”

After her wedding in 2018, Meghan legally changed her name from Rachel Meghan Markle to Meghan, HRH The Duchess of Sussex. Her married name is most likely on all her official documents, including her passport. It's believed Meghan and Prince Harry's official courtiers changed the Duchess's name on Archie's birth certificate to match the rest of her legal documents. Meghan has not yet addressed the situation any further.

Photo: Getty