Royal fans think they’ve spotted a blunder in Meghan’s new Instagram page  – but here’s the truth

Royal fans think they have spotted a blunder in Meghan Markle’s new Instagram page. 

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, returned to the social media platform on New Year’s Day, after originally setting up the account @meghan in 2022.

Prince Harry was behind the camera of the new video, which sparked a frenzy online, as tens of thousands of people followed it with more the Duchess now racking up more than a million followers.

However after watching her first upload, fans were quick to point out that the account name had been quietly changed from just ‘Meghan’ to ‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’ – seemingly missing out the ‘The’.

Because of the simple blunder speculation around the marital status of Meghan emerged on X, formerly known as Twitter, when royal fan page @Gertsroyals pointed out the update to her Instagram profile name. 

The page shared screenshots showing the change and said: ‘Meghan’s Instagram has already had an update, changing her name in the profile from ‘Meghan’ to ‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’.

‘Hopefully we will see another update, as she left out the ‘The’ in her title. No ‘The’ before Duchess of Sussex means she is a divorcee.’

Royal fans drew comparison with Prince Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who brands herself Duchess of York, to illustrate that a divorced woman would not use ‘The’ before her title. 

They added: ‘Meghan’s title is ‘Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex.

‘She has ‘The’ as she is the spouse of the current title holder. Sarah has no ‘The’ as a divorcee.’

Many were confused by the name change, with one person writing: ‘She actually got her title right, for once. It’s either ‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’ or if she chooses to leave out her first name then it’s ‘The Duchess of Sussex’. 

To which the royal fan account disagreed saying: ‘That is not correct. “The” indicates current title holder (or spouse of). 

‘You don’t normally use the first name, as there is only one title holder at a time so no confusion who you are talking about. No “The” indicates the person does not hold the title in their own right. It could be a divorcee. Or some with a courtesy title, like an eldest son.’

They later added that it was a common mistake, even made by the palace on one occasion and numerous royal photographers. 

Because of the simple blunder speculation around the marital status of Meghan emerged on X, formerly known as Twitter , when royal fan page @Gertsroyals pointed out the update to her Instagram profile name

Royal fans drew comparison with Prince Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who brands herself Duchess of York , to illustrate that a divorced woman would not use ‘The’ before her title

They wrote: ‘Most people, even Royal Staff, don’t understand the proper use of “The”. We see this mistake all the time. 

‘It is left off for current title holders. It gets added to divorcees, former title holders or people who while the title in their own right. 

‘The palace actually made this mistake when they initially announced Harry and Meghan were no longer using their HRH. They had to very embarrassingly correct themselves after people pointed out they were styling Megan as a Divorcee.’

Despite Harry and Meghan being happily married, typically only the divorced wives or widows of hereditary peers are referred to by their Christian name, followed by a comma, then their title – as in the case of Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah, Duchess of York.

This is to distinguish them from the current holder of the same title. 

However it simply appears to be an error by the duchess, in fact the same mistake was made by palace officials in 2020.

There was later a Buckingham Palace review after she was erroneously listed as ‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’ in a palace statement.

After this was pointed out by the Mail, royal officials confirmed the information had been given out in error by the Press Office and that the couple’s new titles would be reported in due course.

One of the Duchess’s first guests is long time friend (and recipient of American Riviera Orchard jam) Mindy Kaling 

A sweet clip shows Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sharing a sweet moment while each enjoying a drink 

Royal experts claimed it was likely they would simply revert to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, without the HRH.

At the time, royal commentator Alastair Bruce told Sky News: ‘The palace made an announcement about what the duke and duchess were to be called. 

‘But it inadvertently gives all the wrong messages because, in convention, the style suggested is the one adopted to express divorce.’

According to the palace, the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not subject to change, but updated guidance for how the names should be formatted was being prepared.

Buckingham Palace said its previous guidance on the royal couple’s title was erroneous, and it was conferring with the Garter King of Arms – who specialises in matters of titles and protocol – to issue updated guidance.

The latest controversy comes at the time when the couple are fending off rumours of ‘a secret divorce.’

However the rumours were squashed after Prince Harry made an appearance in the trailer to Meghan’s new Netflix series. 

The Prince and Meghan shared a sweet moment together in the trailer for her new Netflix cooking show.

The Duchess, 43, bills the series as creating ‘wonder in every moment’ as she shares her tips and tricks on living well

The Duke of Sussex made a cameo appearance towards the end of the promo for his wife’s highly anticipated new series With Love, Meghan.

The pair can be seen hugging each other as they enjoy a drink together on a sunny outdoor patio.

Prince Harry and Meghan each hold a champagne flute in their hands as they cosy up.

It is currently unclear whether Prince Harry will appear on the series but his teased cameo in the trailer suggests he may have a role.

The Duchess of Sussex launched the Netflix series on Instagram on Thursday, a day after her new account posted its first reel to ring in 2025.

The long-awaited lifestyle show, which fans were promised when Meghan’s brand American Riviera Orchard was first teased last March, will launch on January 15.

It comes following a year of speculation as to when the first episodes will drop.

The trailer shows the Duchess cooking in her Montecito kitchen, picking produce from her garden and chatting with some very famous pals.

Posting the trailer on her Instagram account, Meghan wrote: ‘I have been so excited to share this with you! I hope you love the show as much as I loved making it.

‘Wishing you all a fantastic new year! Thanks to our amazing crew and the team. Beyond grateful for the support – and fun!’

She signed off: ‘As ever, Meghan.’

Describing the series in an official synopsis, Netflix says: ‘In With Love, Meghan, we join Meghan in the kitchen, garden — and even at the beehive — as she prepares to host friends both old and new.

‘Sharing some of her favorite tips and tricks for cooking, gardening, crafting, and more, Meghan reveals how even the most minute details can help add beauty to our lives and, most importantly, help bring people together.

‘Whether it’s preparing take-home gifts for guests or adding a sprinkle of edible flowers to breakfast, it’s truly the thought that counts.’