Meghan Markle lets 'Duchess' title slip in favour of higher rank of 'real-life Princess'

Meghan Markle's official titles are The Duchess of Sussex, Countess of Dumbarton and Baroness Kilkeel - but the former working royal often prefers calling herself a "princess".

The 42-year-old former actress said during an interview in 2022 that she wants to inspire young girls and let them know they can "create a life greater than any fairy tale" they have ever read. Meghan said she knows people regard her as a "real-life princess" even after she and her husband Prince Harry stepped down as senior royals.

The Sussexes now live in Montecito, California, with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Over the past four years, the couple shared their struggles and grievances in interviews, TV shows and in writing - and one of the most popular televised conversations they had was the one with Oprah Winfrey.

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The interview made headlines around the world - not least because of the couple's claims of racism within the royal family, that Princess Kate had made Meghan cry before her wedding, and that Harry had been cut off financially. But even at that moment, Meghan said, she was aware of her royal connection and knew how important it is to be regarded as a princess.

In her 2022 interview with The Cut, the Duchess stated: "It's important to be thoughtful about it because - even with the Oprah interview, I was conscious of the fact that there are little girls that I meet and they're just like, 'Oh my God, it's a real-life princess.'"

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She added: "I just look at all of them and think, 'You have the power within you to create a life greater than any fairy tale you've ever read'. I don't mean that in terms of 'You could marry a prince one day.' I mean you can find love. You can find happiness. You can be up against what could feel like the greatest obstacle and then you can find happiness again."

Although Meghan is a princess, royals are usually known by their primary titles - in her case, Duchess of Sussex. On the official website of the Royal Family, the Sussexes' profiles give an overview of their current situation. Harry's original profile described him as fifth in line to the throne, something that has now been removed from the website.

He originally had a 2,700-word biography which included details of his early life, education and army career. Now, that has been condensed into a paragraph which reads: "The Duke is the younger son of The King and Diana, Princess of Wales.

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"He was born at 4.20pm on 15 September 1984 at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington and christened Henry Charles Albert David at St George's Chapel, Windsor. He spent ten years working in the Armed Forces, ending operational duties in 2015. During his service, he conducted two tours of duty to Afghanistan with the British Army."

Meghan's section of their joint profile says: "Prior to her marriage to The Duke of Sussex in 2018, The Duchess worked as an actress, appearing in film and television. She most notably played the role of Rachel Zane on the series Suits for seven seasons, completing over 100 episodes. Alongside her successful career as an actress, The Duchess also wrote and edited a lifestyle website called The Tig.

"During her time as a working member of the Royal Family, The Duchess became Patron of The National Theatre, The Association of Commonwealth Universities, Smart Works - which helps long-term unemployed and vulnerable women return to employment - and animal welfare charity, Mayhew."

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