Meghan Markle knows her duchess days are numbered: Here’s how

​​Meghan Markle may be doubling down on her duchess identity, and royal insiders say that may be the strongest sign yet that she knows the title won’t last forever.

The Duchess of Sussex continues to lean heavily on her royal branding. And experts say her recent behaviuor is no coincidence. Fans were left stunned when, during a moment in her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, Mindy Kaling introduced her as “Meghan Markle,” only for the duchess to immediately correct her.

"It's so funny too, that you keep saying 'Meghan Markle', you know I'm Sussex now", she had said. The insistence raised eyebrows, especially since “Sussex” isn’t a surname.

Then came the Harper’s Bazaar feature, where journalist Kaitlyn Greenidge described Meghan being formally announced twice during their meetings.

Daily Beast royal correspondent Tom Sykes argues Meghan’s behavior reveals far more than she intends: "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, among those who believe Prince William could revoke the Sussex dukedom once he becomes king, says Meghan may be deliberately reinforcing the brand before it disappears.

Writing for the Daily Mail, Sharon Hunt observed: "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."

Meghan herself recently explained why she leans on “Sussex,” telling People: "It's our shared name as a family… I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me."

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