‘Loophole’ that allowed Prince Harry, Meghan Markle to launch new website
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been accused of “monetising” their royal links by rebranding their website but the LA-based pair may have used a technicality get around it.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have used a “loophole” to rebrand their official website as Sussex.com, a royal expert has claimed.
The controversial couple’s decision to ditch their Archewell branding for the very royal Sussex.com was said to have come as a complete surprise to Buckingham Palace – and it has been suggested the move could even be a breach of their agreement with the late Queen.
Royal sources have suggested that the change veers dangerously close to using their royal status for commercial gain. Others described it as a breach of the agreement, “if not in letter, certainly in spirit”.
The new homepage for “The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex” went live early on Tuesday morning (AEDT) and one royal expert has speculated why it only features Ms Markle’s coat of arms – rather than a joint one.
Richard Fitzwilliams told the Sun that it is a “loophole” to get around the late Queen banning the couple’s “SussexRoyal” brand after they left the UK for America in 2020.
And he said it “advertises a couple whose best future could be behind them”.
“They have every right to use the coat of arms, but this involves using loopholes to effectively bring back SussexRoyal and exploit their royal status,” Mr Fitzwilliams told The Sun.
“They have caused the family tremendous amounts of damage. The only way they made money was by using their royal links on their Netflix docuseries and Harry’s book Spare. “Since Charles was diagnosed with cancer they cannot attack the Royal Family. But if this is the best they can do, who’s giving them advice? It’s rather boring. It’s quite puzzling.”
A source close to the Sussexes hit back at criticism over their decision to use the titles.
“Prince Harry and Meghan are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. That is a fact. It is their surname and family name,” the sourcetold the Daily Mail.
When the couple stepped back as working royals, it was agreed they couldn’t use their royal status for commercial gain – and they decided to launch Archewell.
The new website links to the couple’s non-profit organisation the Archewell Foundation and their production company Archewell Productions.
On the site, Prince Harry’s bio says he is “a humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate, and environmental campaigner” and that he has dedicated his life “to advancing causes that he is passionate about and that advance permanent change for people and places”. Ms Markle is described as “a feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity”.
In 2020, a Sussex spokesman confirmed they would ditch the “SussexRoyal” branding.
“While the duke and duchess are focused on plans to establish a new non-profit organisation, given the specific UK government rules surrounding use of the word royal, it has been therefore agreed that their non-profit organisation, when it is announced this spring, will not be named Sussex Royal Foundation.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not intend to use ‘Sussex Royal’ in any territory post-spring 2020.
“Therefore, the trademark applications that were filed as protective measures, acting on advice from and following the same model for The Royal Foundation, have been removed.”
MEGHAN’S AXED PODCAST RETURNS
Meanwhile, Ms Markle is returning to the podcast world after partying ways with Spotify last year.
The Duchess of Sussex, 42, has signed a deal with Lemonada Media, the company behind Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
As well as launching a new podcast, the company will make available Meghan’s previous Spotify series Archetypes to all podcast platforms, Deadline reports.
Little is known about the new podcast but Meghan will host the series.
“I’m proud to now be able to share that I am joining the brilliant team at Lemonada to continue my love of podcasting,” Meghan said in a statement.
“Being able to support a female founded company with a roster of thought provoking and highly entertaining podcasts is a fantastic way to kick off 2024.
She continued: “Our plan to re-release Archetypes so that more people can now have access to it, as well as launching a dynamic new podcast are well in the works. I’m so eager to be able to share it soon, and am overjoyed to be joining the Lemonada family.”
Lemonada’s chief creative officer Stephanie Wittels Wachs said: “As we’ve started development with The Duchess of Sussex, we are blown away by her collaborative spirit and clear vision, along with her deep desire to build compassion and community through this work.”
It comes as Prince Harry and Meghan received backlash for using their royal titles and the coat of arms on their new website — despite resigning from their duties four years ago.
The couple’s former sites, Sussexroyal.com and Archewell.com, had been used to update the public on their philanthropic endeavours.
But now both pages redirect visitors to the newly launched Sussex.com, which reads, “The Office of Prince Harry & Meghan The Duke and Duchess of Sussex” beneath the coat of arms of the United Kingdom.
Several critics took to social media to call out the pair for invoking their former royal roles, despite leaving the UK and moving to Montecito, California in 2020, where they reside permanently with their children, Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2.
“Harry and Meghan are *still* branding themselves as ‘the Sussexes,’” one royalist tweeted, according to Page Six. “They abandoned their duty to this country, insulted our people and history, mocked our traditions & undermined our monarchy. The brass to keep parasitising off this title!”
“Perfect summary of these two grasping title clingons!” a second person responded.
“Strip the grifters of their titles, it’s long overdue,” a netizen wrote.
Another said the use of royal titles and royal crest was “ridiculous.”
Others, however, defended the expat royals, claiming that they have every right to use their titles on their own website however they wish.
“They remain the Duke & Duchess of Sussex. It is their title, until somebody somewhere decides otherwise,” a fan pointed out.
“Yes it’s a title given to them by the Queen. They were hounded out of the country by the vitriol in the press … I’m British, they didn’t insult me, my history, or my traditions,” a second defender wrote.
Harry and Meghan's new website links back to old Sussex Royal domain https://t.co/b51sXMo70S via @MailOnline my take on their new website. It says nothing new & links to Sussex Royal which they can’t use. It advertises a couple whose best future could be behind them!!
— Richard Fitzwilliams (@RFitzwilliams) February 13, 2024
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams posted on Twitter, “Why do this at all? The Sussexes are in limbo. What’s new for goodness sake?”
“It says nothing new & links to Sussex Royal which they can’t use. It advertises a couple whose best future could be behind them!!,” he tweeted.
Although they are ditching Archewell.com, the couple’s charity The Archewell Foundation and business venture Archewell Productions are still in effect.
Archewell.com automatically redirects to the new website.
Sussex.com states that “The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex is shaping the future through business and philanthropy.”
It also lists an extensive biography of both Prince Harry and Meghan.
Prince Harry’s bio describes him as “a humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate, and environmental campaigner. He has dedicated his adult life to advancing causes that he is passionate about and that advance permanent change for people and places.”
Meghan’s bio is similarly descriptive, saying she is “a feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity. Her lifelong advocacy for women and girls remains a constant thread in her humanitarian and business ventures.”
When Prince Harry and Meghan left the Royal fold in 2020, the late Queen Elizabeth famously disallowed the pair from using the term “SussexRoyal” as their brand.
The couple can use their titles – Duke and Duchess of Sussex – but are not able to use the honorific HRH.
In October 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan launched the Archewell site.
Since leaving the UK Royal Family, the pair have had varying success with projects. They released a Netflix documentary about their lives, Prince Harry wrote a biography and Meghan launched a podcast.
In September last year, it was revealed the couple were planning to launch new projects.
While their $20 million contract with Spotify was closed last year, they still have a $100 million deal with Netflix.
WILLIAM ‘UPSET’ OVER HARRY’S MERCY DASH
Prince William is “upset” over his brother Prince Harry’s 24-hour dash to see their cancer-stricken father, King Charles, it has been claimed.
The heir to the throne has branded Prince Harry’s trip as a “PR opportunity,” and has “absolutely no interest” in reconciling with his “impulsive” estranged brother, according to royal expert Ingrid Seward.
The Duke of Sussex flew to London from Los Angeles last week — without wife Meghan Markle or their two children — after King Charles’s shock cancer diagnosis was revealed to the world by Buckingham Palace.
He spent less than 24 hours on home soil and a mere 45 minutes with King Charles, who he met at the royal residence Clarence House in London.
“William would be upset that Harry yet again has chosen to make this visit to see his father a PR opportunity,” Seward told The Sun.
“As far as William is concerned he has absolutely no interest in speaking to Harry until Harry behaves like a gentleman and apologises for the years of rudeness and slurs he has aimed at William and the Princess of Wales.”
Seward said that the heir to the throne “must be privately furious” that Prince Harry used his trip as “an opportunity to announce his arrival and expect to see William”.
She said the trip proved that the father of two still clings to his “impulsive” nature, and argued that he “should have waited for a week or two” before visiting.
It’s believed that the two brothers did not meet during Prince Harry’s whirlwind London visit.
Sources close to the California-based royal said he would have “gladly accepted” a chance to see Prince William, however that opportunity did not arise.
PRINCE ANDREW MOVIE TO BE RELEASED
Netflix has released the first trailer for Scoop, a new drama about the car crash BBC interview that forced Prince Andrew to withdraw from public life.
Starring Gillian Anderson as journalist Emily Maitlis and Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew,
The film is based on a book by former Newsnight producer Sam McAlister, who is played Billie Piper in the film.
The bombshell BBC interview was originally planed by Prince Andrew to stave off speculation about his connection with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
However, it was a PR disaster and the backlash forced Prince Andrew to step down from public duties.
During the interview, Prince Andrew shared how he first met Epstein, through Ghislaine Maxwell, and denied allegations that he had sex with one of Epstein’s alleged victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
Scoop is due to be released on April 5 on Netflix.
Originally published as ‘Loophole’ that allowed Prince Harry, Meghan Markle to launch new website
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