When Meghan Markle strolled onto the set of MasterChef Australia and dropped the line, "Just call me Meghan," royal watchers could be forgiven for feeling a sudden wave of whiplash. On one level, it’s a relief.
After six long years of watching the Sussex title stamped onto lucrative commercial deals, books, and lifestyle brands, hearing her ask to be addressed like a regular home cook feels like the very thing the late Queen Elizabeth II asked for in 2020. So, the obvious question is: What took so long?
When Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the Dukedom of Sussex on Harry and Meghan for their 2018 wedding, it was an honour rooted in public service. When the couple chose to step back as senior royals in 2020, a crucial part of the "Sandringham Summit" agreement was that royal status and titles should not be monetised for private financial gain.
Yet, in the years since, the "Duchess" title has served as the ultimate global door-opener. Year after year, we’ve watched the handle be attached to everything from Spotify podcasts to Netflix series. Selectively dropping the late Queen’s wedding gift for TV clout is a direct insult to Queen Elizabeth II’s memory. If Meghan truly respects the Crown, she must stop treating a historic peerage like a convenient marketing tool.
The irony, of course, is that no matter how casually she plays it for the audience, saying "just call me Meghan" on TV doesn't change the underlying constitutional reality. Under British royal protocol, peerage titles aren't like name tags you take on and off.
As a history graduate, I always prefer taking things back to basics. A dukedom is a legal peerage granted by the Crown. Discarding it over appetisers on MasterChef changes nothing - removing it officially takes an Act of Parliament or the King's prerogative.
Even in a hypothetical divorce, the title stays. She’d simply drop "The" and become Meghan, Duchess of Sussex - just like when Fergie became Sarah, Duchess of York. And if the Sussex dukedom were stripped tomorrow, royal protocol dictates she’d technically become Princess Henry - taking Harry’s formal first name, like Princess Michael of Kent. Because she was never born a royal, she can never legally be "Princess Meghan".
Which raises an ironic question for her fiercest critics: would it actually be worse for the anti-royal narrative if she dropped the Sussex title? In the eyes of the global public, being known as 'Princess Henry' might sound even more prestigious than a Duchess, giving her a grander royal aesthetic than the one she has now.
It’s the exact same rulebook that applies to Diana and Catherine. Neither was born a princess, but both took their husband's top title upon marriage. After her divorce, Diana lost her "HRH" and became Diana, Princess of Wales. Catherine started as Duchess of Cambridge before stepping into The Princess of Wales when William became heir to the throne.
The bottom line? No matter how casually she plays it on screen, the royal title is locked in for good. If "just call me Meghan" signals a real shift toward honouring Queen Elizabeth’s wishes, it’s a welcome, long-overdue step. But history reminds us that behind the casual TV introduction, the protocol remains strictly intact.
Unless the title gets left at the door in her business ventures as well, it's hard not to wonder if "just Meghan" is a genuine change of heart, or simply a former actress playing a role for Australian TV.