Princess Kate Wins Praise for Doing What Meghan Was Once Criticized For—And the Irony Is Hard to Miss
Kate's handwritten message has people revisiting one of Meghan Markle's most debated moments.
Princess Kate recently completed the demanding National Three Peaks Challenge, a 23-mile hike to raise money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. She met another fundraiser along the way and donated money for his cause as well. However, what caught attention was the name she used to sign the donation. She used her title as a surname, signing it "Catherine Wales," which led to comparisons to the criticism Meghan Markle received for calling herself "Meghan Sussex."
While climbing the difficult trail, Kate met Ben Nevis, an 11-year-old wheelchair user who took on the challenge with help from his family and friends. He was raising money for Molly Olly's Wishes, a charity that supports children with serious illnesses by granting their wishes and creating special moments for them during difficult times. Along with her donation, Kate also included a handwritten note, signing it as "Catherine Wales.” She wrote, "One of the real highlights of the Three Peaks Challenge was meeting inspiring people like you along the way. Huge congratulations to the entire team for raising money for such a wonderful cause. C."
This had many remembering how Markle, last year, drew flak after correcting Mindy Kaling on her Netflix show, Love, Meghan, explaining that she and her family use "Sussex" as their surname. While discussing her childhood with guest Kaling, the actor referred to her as "Meghan Markle." The Duchess then pointed out that she now goes by "Sussex," explaining that it is the surname she shares with Prince Harry and their children.
She explained that using Sussex made her feel more connected as a family and that saying it meant more to her than she had expected. “This is our family name, our little family name,” Markle said. The moment quickly got people talking, with many questioning her choice of name. Kate's donation message followed the same royal naming tradition that sparked debate as Markle's. This time, however, the reaction was that of unanimous praise, with royal watchers dubbing Kate as down-to-earth, having not signed the message with her royal titles.
Using a royal title as a surname is not unusual. Prince William and Harry both used "Wales" during their military careers, and Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis use it today. As the Princess of Wales, Kate can also sign using "Wales." According to Feminegra, Markle was following the same royal naming convention by using "Sussex," yet the public reaction to her choice was markedly different.
Harry and Markle’s decision to keep using "Sussex" even after stepping back as working royals has also been a personal one. She previously told PEOPLE, "I think as the kids get older, they're so excited about, 'Oh my gosh, Mama and Papa, how did you meet?' I think that will come with time as they get older, but for right now, a huge part of our love story is that we share the name, Sussex."
