Now that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are married a few questions come to mind such as what is the British royal family’s last name? What is a Duke and what is a Duchess?
Regarding the royal family’s last name, they had no last name before 1917, but they were under the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. During World War 1, King George V decided that the family last name would be Windsor. The change came due to anti-German sentiments in England during the war and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was from a German House. Although the family doesn’t use their last name historians say it’s technically Mountbatten-Windsor, a blend of the Queen and her husband’s names. The British royal family also use their first names and the name of the house or dynasty they are from, such as the House of Tudor and the House of York.
Regarding Prince Harry decreed, Duke of Sussex, a Dukes by definition is a male holding the highest hereditary title in the British royal family and Sussex is a county in England.
Regarding Meghan Markle’s title, Duchess of Sussex, a Duchess by definition is a woman holding a rank equivalent to Duke in her own right. Therefore, in her marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan became Duchess of Sussex.
