Meghan Markle knows her days as a duchess are numbered, according to royal experts. The Duchess of Sussex has long made it clear she wants nothing to do with royal life, having mocked protocols such as curtsying to the late Queen, and left for California in 2020 when she and Prince Harry announced they no longer wished to be working royals.

However, Meghan still insists on using ties to the royal family, none more obvious than in the viral moment during her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. Hollywood actor and writer, Mindy Kaling, introduced her as ‘Meghan Markle‘, but the Duchess promptly steered her towards her preferred address: “It’s so funny too, that you keep saying ‘Meghan Markle’ – you know I’m Sussex now.” It left fans confused, with many remarking that it is not a surname, but a title.

Then, in her recent front-page Harper’s Bazaar interview, writer Kaitlyn Greenidge penned that Meghan was formally announced twice when they met.

She began: “A golf cart pulls up, gravel crunching under its tyres. ‘The Duchess of Sussex,’ someone announces. Meghan steps out in wide-leg trousers, a silk blouse, and pavé-diamond studs by Ukrainian brand Guzema.”

At a second meeting, Ms Greenidge wrote: “When I enter, the house manager announces, “Meghan, Duchess of Sussex,” even though we appear to be the only other two people in the house.”

However, royal experts believe her insistence on using these royal titles is the very reason she knows her days are numbered.

The Daily Beast correspondent, Tom Sykes, said: “Meghan Markle’s frantic insistence on the title of Duchess is an attempt to imprint her family’s royal connections on the public before their inevitable removal.”

Sykes, a firm believer that Prince William could revoke the Sussexes’ dukedom when he becomes king, theorised it may be a business move to boost her brand.

Andrew’s title being revoked created further speculation that the Royal Family would remove their titles. Writing for the Daily Mail, Sharon Hunt, added: “With that in mind, the strategy seems simple: roll out ‘Duchess’ as often as possible and keep the Sussex name front and centre – just in case.”

The theme of Sussex has been consistent for some time. In her interview with People in March, Meghan explained how using Sussex “means a lot to me” because it connected her with her family.

“It’s our shared name as a family, and I guess I hadn’t recognised how meaningful that would be to me until we had children,” Meghan said. “I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me.” She did not state whether she legally changed her last name to Sussex.

During a Bloomberg interview, journalist Emily Chung attempted to clarify whether she had legally changed her name, but Meghan managed to avoid the question, responding: “It’s a dukedom.”

She added: “So, that’s the truth of it. But at the end of the day, you know, yes. My legal name is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, but Sussex for us works as our family name and it’s the name that we share with our children.”