Not everyone loves the name given to them at birth.
Some people change their name feeling that the one that they’ve got just doesn’t suit them. Others use their middle name instead.
One of those who doesn’t go by her original moniker is rather high profile: the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle.
It’s certainly a fact that not all royal watchers are aware of as it seems to surprise her fans every time it’s put back out on various royal channels.
So what is Duchess Meghan’s birth name? Perhaps coincidentally – or by intention – it’s the same as the character she played in US law drama Suits: Rachel.
Meghan’s real name is Rachel Meghan Markle. (Image: Getty)
Meghan was in fact named Rachel Meghan Markle at birth.
When the Queen issued her formal consent to the marriage, she declared the couple’s full names: “My Lords, I declare My Consent to a Contract of Matrimony between My Most Dearly Beloved Grandson Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales and Rachel Meghan Markle, which Consent I am causing to be signified under the Great Seal and to be entered in the Books of the Privy Council.”
So why doesn’t Meghan use her real first name? Meghan has never told the public why she doesn’t go by Rachel – but it’s not a fact she’s ever hidden.
It’s common for fledgeling actors to choose a ‘stage name’ – and one that has a nice ring to it. Meghan Markle, with its alliteration, perhaps was more pleasing than her birth name.
But, it seems, the name that’s on her birth certificate still gets the seal of approval from her fans.
A TikToker – who runs a Prince Harry and Meghan fan site on the platform called team_meghanxharry – recently revealed the fact with a handful of others on a slide of images.
One said: “Princess Rachel Meghan Markle.”
“Beautiful name Suit You, Ma’am,” said another.
Meanwhile, a body language guru has given Express.co.uk an exclusive verdict on how presenter Jane Pauley reacted to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on their CBS Sunday Morning interview.
Inbaal Honigman, who was speaking on behalf of Spin Genie, claims that Pauley appeared to have been placing a “mental distance” between herself and Meghan. On the other hand, he believes that she was much more “affectionate” with Harry.
He told us of the conversation, which touched on mental health: “Jane Pauley’s facial expressions when chatting with the royal pair are especially notable, as she appears to respond to Harry very differently to how she responds to Meghan. When listening to the Prince, she is seen smiling towards him with her lips parted, which makes the smile affectionate.
“Her eye contact with him is constant, so she’s listening to what he has to say.”
