Meghan Markle left Buckingham Palace officials “baffled” by her statement that they forced her to change her name on the birth certificate of baby Archie, Page Six is told.
Shortly after her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, her name was officially changed to Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, who was born Rachel Meghan Markle, we confirmed.
This name is now believed to be on her passport and all official documents as officially required by the Garter King of Arms and Senior Herald in England.
The Queen was the one who bestowed their titles on the Sussexes at their wedding.
But after Archie’s birth at the private Portland Hospital in London on May 6, 2019, his mother’s name was registered as “Rachel Meghan, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex.” This was later changed to “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex” in June.
After the story made headlines in recent days, representatives from Sussex released a statement on Sunday saying, “The name change on public documents in 2019 was dictated by The Palace, as confirmed by documents from senior Palace officials. This has not been requested by Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, nor by the Duke of Sussex. “
It claimed the story was an attempt to stir up a ‘calculated family’ dislike, adding, ‘There’s a lot going on in the world; let’s focus on that instead of making clickbait. “
However, a well-placed source told us, “This is totally baffling. The Palace did not dictate anything, this change was made by staff in their former Kensington Palace office and the higher educated at Buckingham Palace were always kept informed. “
Another source confirmed that the palace had nothing to do with it, adding, “The birth certificate has been amended by the former office of the Duke and Duchess to ensure that the Duchess of Sussex’s name and title are consistent with other private documents. “
However, the Sussexes did not ask for the change, we are told. It is believed to have been performed by their former staff.
The couple retired from their ‘senior’ royal duties last year and lived on their own with Archie on a multimillion-dollar estate in Montecito, California.
Representatives did not comment.