Why do people still refer to Megan Markle and Kate Middleton using their maiden names?

It's as if some people don't care about Royal bullshit like titles.

It's to remind us they are actually one of us and we might be lucky enough to be in their situation sometime.

It's because they are not royal and are only titled by marriage.

Because when they began dating princes their maiden names were used and that's how they became known around the world. Once Kate becomes Princess of Wales and eventually Princess or Queen Consort people will still call her Kate Middleton half the time.

Because, like me, they can't bother to remember their new names. What the hell are they anyway?

Same reason people talk about the Kardassians all the time....they're idiotic assholes.

Because Will, Harry and the rest of the Royals don’t actually have last names.

I feel the same way about people that bring up their name as an example r6.

Stop referring to them, you are part of the problem.

I was thinking though today Kate is becoming more established as Kate or as the Duchess of Cambridge.... her identity is now more as a senior member of the Royal Family. I agree, though, she was known first and for a long time as Kate Middleton, so it stuck.

Megain will likely always be Meagain Markle as she will be returning to her former life well before she's really seen as the Duchess of Sussex.

Also, the Middletons have receded from view to a large extent, now Pippa is married. The son never seemed to capture the press' imagination. Carole Middleton and her husband actually seem to live rather quietly.

Because those are their names, OP.

Ms. William Arthur Philip Louis Mountbatten-Windsor is too much.

R7

Are you Retarded? Mountbatten-Windsor is their official last name.

She's not "Princess Kate" (the way there was "Princess Diana"), and you don't say "Duchess Kate," and even though people (and more importantly, headlines) kept referring to the Duchess of York as "Fergie" and the Countess of Wessex as "Sophie" after they got married, you couldn't refer to her just as "Kate" because there are too many Kates. And "Duchess of Camrbidge" is too much of a mouthful.

When the queen dies, William will become Prince of Wales, and Kate will become Catherine, Princess of Wales. The press will then certainly call her "Princess Kate" in headlines, and everyone else will follow.

R12, that's for everyone in the family who isn't the Queen, Charles and his kids. They use Wales when a last name is required (William Wales at school, Harry Wales in the Army, etc.). Normally, William just signs "William" no last name. It's the same for Charles and, I presume, the same for Harry. Obviously QEII needs no last name (or passport).

Fixing the tiara on my head on my lovely perm.

Call me Ishmael!

The Queen has stipulated that all her male-line descendants "who do not bear the titular dignity of prince" shall use Mountbatten-Windsor as their family surname (although Letters Patent exist stipulating the name Windsor, but with the same caveat).

When the amazing QE2 is gone, then she gets the royal treatment.

I had heard the William Wales story too. Monarchy is strange.

I call them "Thing One" and "Thing Two."

Years after her marriage, people still referred to the Princess of Wales as "Lady Diana" and "Lady Di". No one who ever knew her called her "Di" and she hated being referred to by that name. Generally, whatever names the media uses influences the public.

The media uses "Kate" not because she's ever called that (she is called "Catherine" by her husband, parents, siblings, in-laws and friends) but because it's shorter than "Catherine" and so fits headlines more easily.

if William had married a "Susannah," the press would refer to her as "Susie" or "Sue."

In the media - especially online media - they continue to refer to them that way because that's how people continue to search for content about them. Once user/public behavior changes - meaning, if everyone started Googling "Meaghan Duchess of Sussex" or even "Meghan Sussex" then publishers would start to change their behavior.

Media is a product driven by consumer behavior.

When the divorce happens no one will remember the gold digger was part-time Royal.

"Megain will likely always be Meagain Markle as she will be returning to her former life well before she's really seen as the Duchess of Sussex."

I guess being able to see the future means you can't see the keyboard right in front of you.

It will make it easier for name recognition when she joins The View in 15 years.

That way of addressing spouses that are women hasn't changed in over five hundred years. Anne Boylen, Katherine Parr, Jane Seymour; only true royality, such as Catherine of Aragon, had a title and first name. When we hear or read the three non royal names mentioned above we kbow exactly who they are. They are the poor souls who recieved the short end of the stick being married to Henry VIII.

Best answer so far, r25.

Their friends in high society almost certainly refer to them in the 3rd person as "Catherine Cambridge" and "Megan Sussex," though.

[reply 27] Nutmeg has friends?

R20 This was previously on the royal website before her marriage: "Miss Middleton uses both names equally, and she has never expressed a preference for either Catherine or Kate since her engagement to Prince William. Catherine is the name that Miss Middleton grew up with in her family, and Kate is the name that she tends to use in a work context".