Oprah Winfrey discusses Prince Harry and Meghan's surname amid controversy surrounding royal title

"I'd run them straight over to the Sussexes," Winfrey said, before playfully repeating the exaggerated pronunciation for emphasis.

The billionaire's gentle mockery came four months after Meghan, 43, notably corrected her friend Mindy Kaling for using her maiden name during a Netflix cookery programme.

Winfrey, who attended the couple's 2018 wedding and conducted their TV interview in 2021 following their departure from royal duties, lives near Prince Harry and Meghan in California.

During the podcast, Winfrey shared a humorous Easter anecdote about coming to the couple's aid when they discovered ducklings in their garden but lacked a suitable pond for them.

"I get a call from Harry, Prince Harry, on Easter Saturday, and he says, 'Sorry to bother you, O, but we have a duck problem here,'" Winfrey recounted, imitating a British accent.

She explained that a duck had laid eggs in their yard and hatched chicks, but the couple's property only had a stream rather than a proper pond.

"And he said, 'Our pond is a stream, we don't have a pond, so can we bring the ducks over to your pond?'" Winfrey recalled.

The television personality agreed to help but requested they wait for her friend Gayle King's grandchildren to witness the duck relocation.

However, Harry insisted on immediate action despite Winfrey's request to delay for the children's entertainment.

"I said, 'Wait until I can get the kids to come down to the pond so they can see you put the ducks in the pond.' And he goes, 'No, we're coming right away, we're coming over!'" she recounted.

The situation quickly descended into chaos when the mother duck escaped upon their arrival.

"As he opens the door, the mama duck flies out. And he's got all the baby ducks in a box," Winfrey said.

"Harry's running after, Meghan gets out, she's running after, chasing the mom and trying to get her to come back to her ducks."

The television host described the half-hour chase as "the funniest thing I've ever seen," noting they captured the incident on video.

Ripa joked that the ducks had chosen wisely, saying: "They're like, 'Wait a minute, we show up at Prince Harry's house and now we're at Oprah's!' Excuse me. That duck knew what it was doing when it laid its eggs."

Meghan later posted footage of the ducks on her Instagram page with the caption: "Wishing you a Happy Easter full of love...and surprises!"

The surname discussion echoes an incident in March when Meghan corrected Mindy Kaling during her Netflix cookery show after being called "Meghan Markle."

"It's so funny you keep saying Meghan Markle, you know I'm Sussex now," Meghan responded.

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She explained to the confused actress: "You have kids and you go 'No, I share my name with my children.'"

Meghan continued: "I didn't know how meaningful it would be to me but it just means so much to go 'This is our family name. Our little family name'."

After being corrected, Kaling awkwardly responded: "Well, now I know and I love it."

The late Queen Elizabeth bestowed the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Prince Harry and Meghan for their wedding in 2018.

Despite taking the county's name as their title, the couple have only visited Sussex once since their marriage.

That single visit occurred seven years ago when they hosted a number of engagements in the area.