California not Sussex

[CaliforniaNotSussex]

I was born and grew up on the Surrey Sussex border. My brother currently lives in Sussex, my mum spent her retirement in Sussex, my grandparents lived in Sussex their whole lives, I had Saturday and holiday jobs in Sussex, my friends at school lived in Sussex.

I do not like or agree with Ms Markle having the 'Duchess of Sussex' title. She has spent all of 6 hours of her entire life here. She doesn't represent or care about me and the rest of the population of Sussex. She doesn't even like the UK. She will probably never set foot in the UK again, she hates our royal family and our country.

I cant really do much about the title being given to her. But now she wants people to refer to her as 'Meghan Sussex' according to her new netflix show.

Why?????

Why Meghan do you want you and your family to have a surname of a place you have barely ever been to, know nothing about, and which is located in a country you dislike and will never return to?

Can't you call yourself Meghan California instead? You can call yourself anything informally, and if you want to change your name formally, there is probably a way that you and Harry and the kids could adopt 'California' as your new surname.

Why oh why take/steal our home county as your new name. I get the 'duchess of Sussex' title is given to you, but you don't need to use it, and you definitely don't need to call yourself 'Meghan Sussex'.

(Some of) The people of Sussex do not want you to have our name

If you want our name then come visit. Spend time here. Visit the locals, buy OUR jam, invest in OUR schools, donate money to local charities, show interest in the place you have adopted as yours. Visit us regularly. Learn about the culture, the people, the place.

AIBU for thinking Meghan should make the effort to get to know Sussex if she now wants to be called 'Meghan Sussex'? If she doesn't want anything to do with us and will never come here again, she shouldn't call herself 'Meghan Sussex'.

I don’t like or hate her just don’t really understand what it is that actually causes such strong reactions as this thread.

it has also made me realise that I didn’t actually know where the place my surname is is and how far away it is from us. But I have never visited it! Occasionally remark on it when it appears on sports channels due to the horse race course is

that said all she wants is to have the same surname as her children which isn’t that weird is it

Their legal surname isn't sussex

William and Katherine can fuck off with "...of Wales", while we're at it.

that said all she wants is to have the same surname as her children which isn’t that weird is it

As many have already pointed out in this thread, but some people just won’t let it go - anything this particular woman does—no matter how reasonable or understandable in any other situation—must always be dragged through the negativity wringer first.

They don't have a legal surname, but Sussex is the correct substitute, as per long established royal protocol.
As has been explained multiple times.

They don't have a legal surname, but Sussex is the correct substitute, as per long established royal protocol.
As has been explained multiple times.

Exactly. There’s a well-established protocol, and Sussex is the correct substitute. But let’s be honest—some people don’t actually care about the facts. Meghan will always be ‘doing it wrong’ in their eyes, simply because she’s Meghan.

I think you make a good point.

I have reflected a fair bit on why I have such a strong reaction to Meghan and harry. At the time of the wedding I loved them :) then for a while I just had no particular opinion, kind of admired them for wanting to be private, move away together and stay out of the limelight.

Then netflix, Oprah and spare happened.

I think at that point I just lost all respect.

I don't know if it's about not airing the family secrets and dirty laundry or what. But I absolutely hated the way they sold out their families on television. The hypocrisy of fighting the papers and fighting for privacy while all the while using the press and using the media for their own ends

Selling their family secrets for money really struck a chord with me.

And since then I have just felt stronger and stronger about the way they both preach (e.g. about the environment, privacy etc..) while doing the complete opposite of what they say they want.

And there's lying. I hate it. I hate trumps fake news and propaganda, and I hate megs and Harry's version of the truth. I feel sad the world no longer has any objective facts, we are just always sold fakeness. Meghan's new netflix show is the epitome of that.

Then there's the narcissism.

I know a lot of people don't care about any of it!! I don't know why all this bothers me so much. I think just truth, fairness, authenticity and not selling out your family are core principals to me

It's Edward who got promoted (?) to Duke of Edinburgh after his dad died, not Andrew. I don't think even the royals are obtuse enough to give Andrew a fancy new title these days.

I feel sad for their kids that they've got a huge extended family in the UK with cousins, Aunts, Uncles etc that they won't ever see.
It's sad. The friends on her recent netflix show are all people she's known for a decade or less, makes me wonder where the old friends are; the ones she's known for longer than her telly career.
The hairdresser "friend" on the show got to taste her wedding cake at a cake taster event, but didn't get an invite to the wedding (although slebs they'd never met attended)

This thread reminds me of Downton Abbey where the servants are overly concerned with what's 'proper', far more than the aristocrats they serve.

The plebs really do like to keep themselves busy in other people's business 😅

No she should go for a smaller, more elevated place…

Megan Monticito, you are very welcome, (Don’t forget to check if someone has the rights to it already.)

I think Meghan montecito is much better suited..

CaliforniaNotSussex · Today 16:26

MrsSkylerWhite · Today 16:18
Prince and Princess of Wales live in England. Do you disapprove of them?
No? Thought not.
**
They have been to Wales for more than 6 hours! They represent the UK where they live, they haven't dissed the country, the royals or the establishment on the world stage. A little different ..

No it isn’t because it’s all performative nonsense anyway.

is this your first post? Interesting username ….

Right, but it's not her fucking name though is it? Just like Meghan California isnt.
You must realise how unhinged this makes you sound, making suggestions of names you think would be 'better' for a complete stranger?

My first post on megs! But not my first post on Mumsnet :) I changed my name because I know there are some Sussex squad members that use this forum and can be v passionate in their defence of Meghan and harry, and can end up completely trashing any poster that posts about them! So wanted to protect my privacy :) ironically.

@CaliforniaNotSussex

You said it's awful 'if' she has experienced racism. And that you doubt she has. That's literally what you said...

Here's the direct quote from you:

"I don't think there was racism towards her either. She's just not a nice person, her skin colour makes no difference and should not be an excuse for her behaviour. If she did experience suicidal ideation then that's sad. If she did experience racism that's awful. But I have my doubts"

It's an utterly bizarre thing to say about someone mixed race because it's (depressingly) so overwhelmingly unlikely that they've never experienced racism.

Prince Edward Is Duke of Edinburgh!

I am sure she has experienced racism at times in her life. My post was clumsy. I was referring to the racism she claims to have experienced from the royal family that made her feel suicidal, which is what was being posted about at the time and I was responding to. That is what I was doubting. I don't think Kate is racist. I don't think discussing the colour of Archie's skin is racist. But if I'm wrong then like I say, that is awful.

I think just truth, fairness, authenticity and not selling out your family are core principals to me

Several royal commentators have cited Kensington Palace as their source for Meghan hate stories. I'm not sure I'd feel much loyalty towards my in-laws if they supplied stories about me to the press to fuel the hatred, would you?

They should be careful what they wish for. I doubt Meghan will be so restrained with her criticism if her loyalty to Harry ever disappears!

On the back of this thread I've now had a good look at Debretts and Royal UK re surnames.

Any royal born HRH, so William, Harry, George and siblings, but not Archie or Lilibet, does not officially have any surname at all. That explains why George has .....of Cambridge in his name box on his birth certificate but Archie was Mountbatten-Windsor.

But under various decrees made in the late Queen's reign the official family surname of the whole royal family is Mountbatten-Windsor. So that's the surname of those in the family who do have other titles but are not HRH.

However, should there be any need for the HRH royals to use a surname in particular circumstances their official surname is Mountbatten-Windsor.

But, with senior royals, who have a title of a house eg Cambridge, Wales, Sussex etc, there is a tradition that instead of Mountbatten-Windsor, they can opt to use the name of the house as their surname eg Sussex.

So really they have various options as to what they can call themselves.
It is fine for Meghan to choose call herself Sussex and for their children to be called that.

I apologise for my earlier posts in which I said that their surname should be Mountbatten-Windsor. Whilst that is a choice of name, they have chosen to follow royal tradition and call themselves Sussex. As with everyone, they are free to call themselves whatever they like. Presumably they have completed whatever documentation is required to make it official.

@CaliforniaNotSussex

I don't know if it's about not airing the family secrets and dirty laundry or what. But I absolutely hated the way they sold out their families on television. The hypocrisy of fighting the papers and fighting for privacy while all the while using the press and using the media for their own ends. Selling their family secrets for money really struck a chord with me

Can I ask your genuine thoughts on the late Queen reportedly contributing more than £2 million to a settlement on behalf of Prince Andrew to the woman who accused him of rape?

Sussex squad? Good grief. Some people who are sick and tired of seeing a mixed race woman dissed on a regular basis.

I’m a republican (not in the Trump sense,, may I add!). Whole lot should be retired. But the shit she gets for no real reason that I can fathom is off the scale.

Wonder why? ……

Oh don't get me started on prince Andrew we'll be here til Christmas...

🙄

Oh don't get me started on prince Andrew we'll be here til Christmas...

Ok but the family you are very concerned Harry and Meghan 'sold out' protected Prince Andrew for years throughout the accusations and then paid millions of pounds in a settlement to the woman who accused him of rape, which I think is indicative that they realised he could very realistically be found guilty of the crime at some point if the settlement wasn't agreed.

I just can't imagine feeling so defensive of a family you don't actually know, that you know at its core would defend and fund a sex offender.