
Meghan Markle reportedly gave a simple three-word instruction on how she preferred to be addressed during preparations for the upcoming Invictus Games in Canada.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex travelled to Vancouver and Whistler in February ahead of the 2025 Invictus Games, the first winter edition of the international sporting event founded by Prince Harry. Scott Moore, the new CEO overseeing the Games’ organisation, recently shared his experience of meeting the couple.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Moore explained that he wanted to ensure proper etiquette when addressing the Duke and Duchess. “I did make sure to ask how I should be addressing them when they get here,” he said. “And I was told the simple ‘Sir’ and ‘Ma’am is fine.’”
Traditionally, male members of the Royal Family are first addressed as “Your Royal Highness” before “Sir,” while female royals are greeted as “Your Royal Highness” followed by “Ma’am.” Despite stepping down from royal duties in 2020, Harry and Meghan continue to hold their HRH titles, although they agreed not to use them for commercial purposes under the terms of their departure from royal life.
A Consistent Preference

This is not the first time reports have surfaced about how the couple prefer to be addressed. Earlier this year, Vanity Fair published a feature claiming that some staff working on Meghan’s Archetypes podcast and Harry’s book tour were instructed to call them “Sir” or “Ma’am.” However, the report added that in some cases, this request was dropped after individuals pushed back, while others were encouraged to use their first names instead.
Comparing the Sussexes’ Work to the Obamas
The discussion over formalities comes as Meghan Markle recently drew comparisons between her and Prince Harry’s media ventures and those of Barack and Michelle Obama. Speaking at Fortune magazine’s annual Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C., Meghan discussed the couple’s evolving partnership with Netflix.
“My husband and I were in an overall deal with Netflix,” she explained. “And then, not just similar to Higher Ground in the Obamas’ deal, once that had come to its term, the extension of it—which was such an incredible sign of the strength of our partnership—was now being in a first-look deal.
“That’s exciting,” she added, “because it gives us flexibility to go to our partners first, and at the same time, to shop content that might not be the right fit for Netflix but has a home somewhere else.”