All About Laughs
Buckingham Palace officials say they were “baffled” after claims that they made Meghan Markle change her name on baby Archie’s birth certificate, according to Page Six.
The popular news outlet also confirmed that following her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, Markle had her name officially changed to Meghan, HRH The Duchess of Sussex. Her name prior to the change was Rachel Meghan Markle.
From a spokesperson for Duchess Meghan: https://t.co/TuXZPRytC7 pic.twitter.com/ZyFvceqBDs
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) January 31, 2021
The new name is said to have been updated on her passport and all corresponding official documents, a requirement set forth by the Garter King of Arms and Senior Herald in England.
Queen Elizabeth II is said to have given her the new name once she married into the family.
Following the birth of their first child Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor at London’s private Portland Hospital on May 6, 2019, his mom’s name was listed as “Rachel Meghan, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex.” That was later changed and amended to “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex” shortly after in June.
After the name change recently made headlines, Sussex representatives releases a statement saying “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.”
It stated that the story was an attempt to create a “calculated family ‘snub,’” noting, “There’s a lot going on in the world; let’s focus on that rather than creating clickbait.”
Well-placed sources told Page Six that the story is “totally baffling. 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 corroborated this saying the Palace was not involved in anyway. “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.”
The Sussexes did not ask for the name change, Page Six reported. It is believed that former staff carried out the order on their own.
The couple denounced their “senior” royal duties in 2020, opting instead to move to California where they live with baby Archie at a multimillion-dollar estate in Montecito, Calif.
Reps had no comment.
