Prince Harry and Meghan’s new website using their Sussex titles is a betrayal of their agreement with the late Queen Elizabeth, it was claimed last night.
The couple’s “provocative” decision to relaunch their homepage as “Sussex.com” sparked accusations that they are trying to be “more real.”
Well-placed sources said the new online venture would present a “huge challenge” for the Lord Chamberlain of Buckingham Palace.
The senior royal must decide whether to criticize the Sussexes or “let it go” to maintain the already fragile family peace.
The growing dispute centers on the Duke and Duchess’s decision to replace their Archewell website, the umbrella name for all their philanthropic and business endeavours, with ‘Sussex.com’.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in June 2018
The new website is a challenge for the Lord Chamberlain of Buckingham Palace. The outgoing Lord Chamberlain is former MI5 chief Lord Parker of Minsmere, pictured with the Queen in 2019.
The new homepage for ‘The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ went live on Monday evening.
Featuring Meghan’s coat of arms and brilliant biographies of the couple, as well as the latest news about the couple.
Many close to the royal household believe it is a flagrant breach of the supposedly strict assurances Harry and Meghan gave the late Queen when they bitterly quit as senior royals in 2020, and comes dangerously close to using their royal status for profit. commercial.
Others described it as a betrayal of the agreement, “if not in letter, certainly in spirit.”
But a source close to the couple dismissed the claims and defended the use of their royal titles for the website.
They said: ‘Prince Harry and Meghan are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. That is a fact. It’s his last name and last name.
The palace declined to comment, preferring to focus on the King, who returned to London yesterday for a meeting and cancer treatment.
But a source said: “Buckingham Palace may have its hands tied in taking action.” The King has other things he needs to focus on right now and the last thing His Majesty needs is another fight with her son. But this won’t go down well at all.
The new Sussex.com homepage features an image of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at the Invictus Games closing ceremony in September 2023.
The Duchess of Sussex’s coat of arms appears on new Sussex.com website
Following the so-called ‘Sandringham summit’ in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex agreed to step back from their royal duties and not use their HRH titles for commercial purposes or exchange their royal connections.
They were also forced to freeze their existing website, Sussexroyal.com, which had been launched weeks earlier without warning and which effectively contained their “manifesto” for a new life half inside and half outside the royal family. They have since traded under their new Archewell guise.
The couple’s decision to launch Sussex.com this week was therefore seen as reopening old wounds.
Insiders highlighted the decision to use only Meghan’s royal coat of arms on the website and not Harry’s.
Some theorized that having the prince’s coat of arms would be too provocative “even for them.” Others wondered if it was because “ultimately, this is a rebrand for Meghan.”
Meghan’s coat of arms reflects her Californian origin. The shield contains the color blue to represent the Pacific Ocean and yellow rays to symbolize sunlight.
Below the shield is the golden poppy, California’s state flower, and Wintersweet, a flower that grows at Kensington Palace and which also appeared on her wedding veil.
This is an image issued by Kensington Palace on May 25, 2018 showing the Duchess of Sussex’s new coat of arms which was issued at the time of her marriage to Prince Harry.
The couple’s new website, Sussex.com, has a link at the bottom (enclosed by MailOnline) under the ‘The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ logo directing users back to SussexRoyal.com.
Sussexroyal.com, which the late Queen expressly banned the couple from using, is still online and has now been updated to include a link to her new website. A source said this appeared to be deliberately “provocative”.
A well-placed source told the Daily Mail: “They just can’t bring themselves to drop all the trappings that come courtesy of the institution they spend all their time complaining about.”
Another added: “So basically their big rebrand… putting royalty first.”
This is emphasized by the use of royal titles for their children, Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two, in both biographies.
It seems the couple’s website redesign surprised Buckingham Palace.
At the time of their departure from royal life to pursue business deals in the United States, Buckingham Palace said the Sussexes had “made it clear that everything they do would continue to uphold Her Majesty’s values.”
The home page of the sleek new website is a deep blue, fading into an image of the couple clapping and smiling as they look into the distance.
It is described as the site of “The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex”, which it says is “shaping the future through business and philanthropy”.
The site includes biographies of the couple, describing Harry, 39, as a “humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate and environmental activist” and Meghan, 42, as a “feminist and rights advocate.” human rights and gender equality.
Prince Harry, fifth in line to the throne, is described on the Sussex.com website as a “humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate and environmental activist.”
It goes on to detail how the Duchess has been “named one of the most influential women” in rankings including Time Magazine’s Most Influential People, Financial Times’ Top 25 Most Influential Women, Variety’s Power of Women and Vogue’s 25. British Vogue magazine.
Aside from stating that Harry ‘lives in California with his wife Meghan and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet,’ the profile makes no reference to his family.
The Sussex.com web domain was first registered in 1995 but, according to registration records, it was updated earlier this month.
A source said the whole rebranding “really boosted it” in terms of what Harry and Meghan can do.
‘The only rebranding it seems is to make them look more real. “It is hugely problematic and a real headache for the Lord Chamberlain,” they said.
The outgoing Lord Chamberlain is the former head of MI5, Lord Parker of Minsmere. He is the most senior official at Buckingham Palace and is responsible for protocol matters. His predecessor, Lord Peel, was a key figure in Harry and Meghan’s exit negotiations.
Another insider noted with wry amusement the couple’s “modesty,” particularly Meghan’s description of herself as a “cultural catalyst.”
The duchess’ bio says: ‘Meghan is a strong advocate for mental health, family care and gender equality. The Duchess hopes to be a cultural catalyst for positive change, reflecting her core belief that representation matters and that communities can improve through learning, healing and inspiring support.’
Meghan, whose Spotify podcast, acting career and lifestyle blog The Tig is referenced in her bio, is hailed as a “feminist and advocate for human rights and gender equality.”
A source added: “You wonder who there is around him who thinks this is a good idea.”
One of the most senior members of the Sussexes’ staff is James Holt, who worked for the couple, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales, for several years at Kensington Palace. The rest of his team are American appointments.
The launch of the website fueled speculation that they are trying to revitalize their media careers and may be looking for new production companies to work with.
Their £18m deal with Spotify recently came to an end, and there have been rumors that streaming giant Netflix may not renew their £80m deal with them.
But sources warned that using his Sussex title and Meghan’s coat of arms for what appeared to be commercial purposes could spark complaints from the Palace.
One of them said: “They are going to have real problems using Sussex.” It’s a real title and if there’s any hint of commercialism about it, it will be shut down. It’s just amazing that they can’t see how clumsy he is.
The dispute comes ahead of the couple’s trip to Canada this week for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 One Year to Go celebrations.
Last week, Harry traveled to the United Kingdom to visit the King following his cancer diagnosis, but spent only 30 minutes with his father before returning to the United States.