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A lot will change for Meghan Markle once she marries Prince Harry in May 2018, including her name.
Royal-watchers and fans of the American actress will know that her real name is Rachel Meghan Markle, but once she weds Prince Harry she will become Rachel Meghan Mountbatten-Windsor.
Royal historian shared more about the surname to Town & Country, saying “Junior members of the royal family have the option of using the surname.”
Descendants of Queen Elizabeth carry the surname Windsor, with Mountbatten coming from Prince Phillip.
The royal website explains, “The Royal Family name of Windsor was confirmed by The Queen after her accession in 1952. However, in 1960, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh decided that they would like their own direct descendants to be distinguished from the rest of the Royal Family (without changing the name of the Royal House), as Windsor is the surname used by all the male and unmarried female descendants of George V.
“It was therefore declared in the Privy Council that The Queen’s descendants, other than those with the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince/Princess, or female descendants who marry, would carry the name of Mountbatten-Windsor.”
This article originally appeared on WHO.
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