Meghan Markle Speaks Out After Her Name Change on Son Archie's Birth Certificate

Telling her side. Meghan Markle broke her silence after news broke that the former Suits actress, 39, changed her name on son Archie's birth certificate.

“The change of name on public documents in 2019 was dictated by The Palace, as confirmed by documents from senior Palace officials,” Markle's rep told Us Weekly in a statement on Sunday, January 31 “This was not requested by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex nor by The Duke of Sussex.”

The statement comes after U.K.'s The Sun first reported on Saturday, January 30, that Markle "secretly erased" her name, Rachel Meghan, from the document almost one month after Archie's May 2019 birth, and only left “Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex" on the birth certificate.

Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, welcomed their son on May 6, 2019, his birth was registered on May 17 and the birth certificate change was made on June 5, per The Sun. The adjustment was made amid feud rumors between Markle, Harry, 36, Prince William and Duchess Kate, which led to speculation that the change may have been a snub, as Us Weekly reported that Kate, 39, has her name on her three children's birth certificates. In Sunday's statement, Markle's rep denied rumors that it was a “a calculated family ‘snub.'"

Archie's birth came one year after Markle and Harry tied the knot in May 2018. The couple announced their decision to step back from the Royal Family in January 2020.