Meghan Markle Reacts to Mindy Kaling Calling Her 'Markle' on Her Netflix Show: 'You Know I’m Sussex Now'

Mar. 15, 2025

Meghan Markle and Mindy Kaling in Netflix’s ‘With Love, Meghan’.Photo:Courtesy of Netflix

Courtesy of Netflix

Meghan Markleis opening up about the Sussex family name.

In an episode ofWith Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix show, Meghan and her friendMindy Kalingteam up to organize akids’ garden partywith activities. The two have been “email pen pals” since Kaling appeared on Meghan’sArchetypespodcast in 2022.

She added she “grew up with that and watchingJeopardyand having a lot of fast food — Taco Bell, Jack in the Box.”

Kaling, 45, replied, “People wouldn’t believe that Meghan Markle ate at Jack in the Box."

Meghan said, “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 continued. “I didn’t know how meaningful that would be to me, but it just means so much to go, this is our family name, our little family name.”

Meghan opened up about the significance of their Sussex family name in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, saying: “I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me,” Meghan says.

Sharing that the Sussex name “is part of our love story,” she continues, “I think as the kids get older, they’re so excited about, ‘Oh my gosh, Mama and Papa, how did you meet?’ I think that will come with time as they get older, but for right now a huge part of our love story is that we share the name Sussex.”

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex photographed in Montecito, CA, in March 2024.

Upon their May 2018 wedding,Queen Elizabethbestowed the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex toPrince Harryand Meghan.

The couple’s children,Prince Archie, 5, andPrincess Lilibet, 3, use the Sussex name as their surname, a tradition within the royal family. Similarly, Harry was known as “Harry Wales” during his school years, adopting his father King Charles' former title, Prince of Wales, as his last name.

Prince Harry, Princess Lilibet, Prince Archie and Meghan Markle in Netflix’s ‘Harry & Meghan’.Netflix/Youtube

Archie and Lilibet were initially known as “Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor” and “Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor,” but were granted the titles of prince and princess following their grandfather King Charles' ascension to the throne in September 2022. Meghan and Harry officially used these titles for the first time in March 2023, during the announcement of Lili’s christening, and their names were updated to “Prince Archie of Sussex” and “Princess Lilibet of Sussex” on the royal family’s official website.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speak onstage at EAN University during a visit around Colombia on Aug. 15, 2024 in Bogota, Colombia.Diego Cuevas/Getty

Diego Cuevas/Getty

Meghan and Kaling are both moms, and Meghan said in episode two that she’s always thinking about the “parent experience” when she hosts a kids’ party.

“It’s a real delight to be a present parent,” Meghan said. “It’s a luxury because we all have to work.”

Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage?Sign up for our free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Mindy Kaling attends the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on Jan. 5, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California.Amy Sussman/Getty

Amy Sussman/Getty

Atthe 2025 Golden Globeson Jan. 5, Kaling opened up about being a parent herself — and how Meghan contacted her when she was two months postpartum with her youngest to ask her, “Do you want to be on my show?”

“And when you hang out with Meghan, you know the food is going to be good,” she said. “And so it’s just nice to have someone else cooking for me.”

She added, “And I was like, ‘I’ll come to Montecito and have you cook for me and go to your garden.’ And that’s what we did.”

source: people.com