What Is Meghan Markle’s Real First Name

More and more fans are taking note of Meghan Markle‘s actual legal name, and wondering whether it might play a role in her official title once she becomes British royalty.

It turns out that Meghan Markle is actually an adopted nickname. According to a report by USA Today, she picked up the nickname and carried it with her into the entertainment industry.

In reality, her full name is legally Rachel Meghan Markle, leading some to assume that her title will end up being “Her Royal Highness Rachel.” It is only coincidence that Markle ended up playing a character named Rachel Zane for so many years on Suits.

According to USA Today, there’s a good chance Markle will opt for a legal name change, making her official title Her Royal Highness Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. In fact, most people were only informed or reminded about Markle’s name switch on Wednesday, when the queen sent a letter to her Privy Council giving her express permission for the marriage this Saturday. I stated that she gave her consent for the wedding between her “most dearly beloved grandson, Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales,” and his fiance, “Rachel Meghan Markle.

Of course, privately, Queen Elizabeth II agreed to the pairing many months ago. If she hadn’t, we may not have ever heard of the romance between Prince Harry and the American actress. They announced their engagement in November, and Kensington Palace happily endorsed the good news, but it wasn’t until Wednesday that they received The Great Seal of the Realm.”

The queen’s approval is necessary for both British law and the royal succession. The rules on this were just updated in 2013, shortly after Prince William married Kate Middleton. Prince Harry is currently sixth in line for the throne. He was just displaced last month when

Middleton gave birth to Prince Louis of Cambridge, the third of her children.

Prince Harry and Markle’s wedding is expected to be a massive television event. Networks have rearranged their airing schedules all week to allow for coverage of the preparations. In the U.S., live coverage will begin promptly at 4 a.m. ET on Saturday morning.

On Wednesday, ABC News learned that Markle plans to say the older, more traditional vows during the ceremony. In 1981, Princess Diana, Harry’s mother, broke tradition by omitting the word “obey” from her wedding vow. Several years ago, Middleton did as well, though it looks like Markle doesn’t want to rock the royal boat.