Locals urge Duchess to engage more with the county before using name
Meghan Markle has sparked controversy after insisting that "Sussex" is her surname, leading to frustration among residents who feel she has not earned the right to use the title.
During the second episode of her Netflix cookery series With Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex corrected actress Mindy Kaling, saying: "It's so funny, too, that you keep saying Meghan Markle. You know I'm Sussex now."
However, people from Sussex have voiced their discontent, pointing out that Meghan has only visited the county once—for six hours in 2018. Many believe she should engage more with local causes if she wishes to be associated with the name.
"I'm sure the Sussex title is a valuable thing to have, but if she wants to use it, she should come here more often," said Jeff Hall, 56, from Lewes. "One visit in eight years isn't really good enough."
His brother, Colin Hall, added: "If she's going to claim the title, she should connect with the place—support a children's charity or do something meaningful in the county."
Another resident, Bryan Jenkins, 72, dismissed Meghan’s claim: "She can call herself what she wants, but suggesting she has an affinity with Sussex is nonsense."
The backlash follows Meghan’s admission about the title’s significance to her. "I didn’t know how meaningful it would be to me, but it just means so much to go, ‘This is our family name. Our little family name,’" she said.
A royal insider described Meghan’s emphasis on the title as "a warning shot" to the royal family, hinting that stripping Harry and Meghan of their Sussex titles remains an option if they continue to release tell-all books or interviews.
