Then came the subtle dig: Oprah deliberately stretched and slurred the pronunciation of “Sussex,” turning it into a playful exaggeration of the tricky-sounding title. While the tone was clearly in jest, many listeners took notice of the way she lingered on the name, seemingly poking fun at its royal weight.

Where “Sussex” really stands in Harry and Meghan’s life

Though Oprah’s comments were made with affection, they land at an interesting time — especially considering how seriously Meghan and Harry have embraced “Sussex” as their family name.

Earlier this year, Meghan confirmed to PEOPLE Magazine that she, Harry, and their children — Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4 — had quietly adopted the surname Sussex in daily life. The name was originally gifted by Queen Elizabeth II on their wedding day in 2018.

“It’s our shared name as a family,” Meghan said. “And I guess I hadn’t recognised how meaningful that would be to me until we had children.”

She reinforced that sentiment in her Netflix series As Ever, Meghan, where she corrected actress Mindy Kaling for referring to her as “Markle.”

“You know I’m Sussex now,” Meghan told her. “You have kids and you go, ‘No, I share my name with my children.’”

Whether Oprah’s pronunciation tease was just playful ribbing or a subtle critique of how seriously the couple takes their title, one thing’s clear: even among close friends, the royals’ rebranding efforts aren’t going unnoticed.