Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Style at Large
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Freaky, Furry Flip-Flops
    • October Books
    • 2026 Beauty Awards
    • Janine Nabers
    • Purple Nails
    • ‘Sense and Sensibility’
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Meghan Markle Was Given the Title of Dr. Sussex on a Government Website, Apparently

    Meghan Markle was briefly listed as having the title "Dr The Duchess of Sussex" on a government website this week, but the mistake was corrected.

    By Kayleigh Roberts
    Published 13 July 2020 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    melbourne, australia october 18 meghan, duchess of sussex attends a reception at government house on october 18, 2018 in melbourne, australia the duke and duchess of sussex are on their official 16 day autumn tour visiting cities in australia, fiji, tonga and new zealand photo by dominic lipinski poolgetty images
    (Image credit: Pool)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter
    • Thanks to what appears to be a clerical error, Meghan Markle was briefly listed as being a doctor on an official government website this week.
    • The error seems to have originated when Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, filed paperwork to close down their Sussex Royal Foundation.
    • Multiple royal sources confirmed to The Sun that Meghan is not, in fact, a doctor. 

    Meghan Markle briefly got a new title this week when a government website listed her as "Dr The Duchess of Sussex."

    The issue, reported by The Sun, seems to have arisen when Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, submitted the paperwork required to officially shut down their Sussex Royal Foundation. Royal insiders believe that the mistake originated from a filing error by Companies House staff. According to The Sun, Meghan was listed as "HRH The Duchess of Sussex" on the business website before her title was inexplicably updated to read "Dr The Duchess of Sussex." The error was corrected as of Friday.

    "We are currently looking into this matter," a spokesman for Companies House said.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    The Sun spoke to several royal sources about Meghan's "doctor" title, all of whom agreed it was definitely a mistake because Meghan is not a doctor in any sense of the word.

    "The duchess is definitely not a doctor," one royal source said.

    You may like
    • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wearing sunglasses walking outside There's a "Significant" Reason Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Moving to the U.K.
    • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walking in front of a large sign on a building that says CLUB Prince Harry and Meghan Markle "Never Agreed" to Their Working Arrangement
    • Meghan Markle smiling and waving Meghan Markle Is Reportedly Taking on One Hobby in England

    "I must admit doing a double-take when I saw Meghan had been made a doctor," another added. "She has been called a lot of things but I had never heard Doctor Meghan."

    So, there you have it: Meghan Markle is, sadly, not secretly a doctor. But, for the record, we totally would have believed it if it turned out she had been getting her PhD or attending medical school in secret, because she's that amazing.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

    subscribe here

    RELATED STORIES

    johannesburg, south africa october 02 prince harry, duke of sussex and meghan, duchess of sussex visit a township to learn about youth employment services on october 02, 2019 in johannesburg, south africa photo by chris jacksongetty images

    (Image credit: Chris Jackson)

    Shop Meghan Markle's Casual LA Summer Dress

    toronto, on may 31 actress meghan markle and jessica mulroney attend the instagram dinner held at the mars discovery district on may 31, 2016 in toronto, canada photo by george pimentelwireimage

    (Image credit: George Pimentel)

    Jessica Mulroney Might Write a Royal Tell-All 

    Explore More
    Meghan Markle
    Kayleigh Roberts
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

    Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

    Read more
    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walking in front of a large sign on a building that says CLUB
    Royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle "Never Agreed" to Their Working Arrangement
    By Kristin Contino
    Meghan Markle smiling and waving
    Royals Meghan Markle Is Reportedly Taking on One Hobby in England
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Meghan Markle wearing a maroon coat holding Prince Harry's arm
    Royals It's "No Accident" That Meghan Markle Chose British Designers for Her Big Return
    By Kristin Contino
    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wearing sunglasses and blue shirts walking outside
    Royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Busy Planning a California Christmas
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Queen Letizia wearing a black dress and clapping
    Royals Queen Letizia Pairs an Edgy Cut-Out Gown with a Bracelet From Her Pre-Royal Days
    Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson wearing black dresses on a red carpet
    Royals Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson are No Longer a "Tripod"
     
     
    Prince Harry meeting fans with his arm around Meghan
    Royals Harry and Meghan's Latest Event Feels "At Odds" With Security Fears, Says Editor
    Princess Kate wearing a fair isle sweater and smiling
    Royals Princess Kate Made a Secret Appearance in an Editor-Approved Me+Em Sweater
     
     
    Latest in News
    Dakota Johnson wore an oversized graphic tee with brown corduroy jeans and a Valentino bag
    Celebrity Style Corduroy Bottoms Are Back—and Already Replacing Dakota Johnson's Go-To Jeans
    Queen Letizia wearing a black dress and clapping
    Royals Queen Letizia Pairs an Edgy Cut-Out Gown with a Bracelet From Her Pre-Royal Days
     
     
    Keri Russell as Kate Wyler and Rufus Sewell as Hal Wyler in 'The Diplomat' season 4.
    TV shows 'The Diplomat' Season 4 Ends With Several Major Twists—Here's Your Breakdown
    Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson wearing black dresses on a red carpet
    Royals Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson are No Longer a "Tripod"
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.