Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Make a Big Announcement About Their New Private Life
It's official! Prince Harry and Meghan Markle soon won't even be royal in name only. The couple announced on Friday, February 21, that they will not be using the word "royal" in their charity foundation name. The announcement comes after weeks of speculation about whether Queen Elizabeth would allow them to use royal branding after stepping down as senior members of the royal family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex put out an official statement regarding the decision.
According to People magazine, a spokesperson for the formerly royal couple said, "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 statement continued, "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not intend to use 'SussexRoyal' in any territory post Spring 2020."
They also apparently removed their trademark applications.
Harry and Meghan's spokesperson confirmed that the trademark applications that had been filed under the Sussex Royal brand had been removed as well. They also maintained that they were only filed as a "protective measure," and that the duke and duchess were "following the same model for The Royal Foundation," AKA Prince William and Kate Middleton's charity.
We have an important question about this latest development.
What does that mean for Instagram? The couple set records when they first launched their own Instagram account under the name @sussexroyal last spring. If they're not planning on using any "royal" branding going forward, does that mean their Insta name is going to change? Or what about their URL, sussexroyal.com?
So many questions, now that we think about it.
Another source reported that Meghan is "over the drama" and doesn't think the brand name matters much anyway.
According to the Daily Mail, an insider revealed, "Meghan said the name of their brand pales in comparison to the foundation they are building and the enormously positive impact it will have on people and the environment."
The source continued, "Meghan has told her inner circle that their success is inevitable with or without their current brand name. She said regardless of the name, Harry and Archie have royal blood and no one can take that away. And that as a family, they will always be considered royalty."
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan are officially out of The Firm March 31.
It was announced earlier this week that the new agreement between the Sussexes and Queen Elizabeth will go into effect on March 31. The couple will no longer have an office at Buckingham Palace, and will be represented by their UK charity foundation team.
The statement read: "The Duke and Duchess will be spending their time in both the United Kingdom and North America. In addition to continuing to work closely with their existing patronages as they build a plan for engagements in the U.K. and the Commonwealth throughout the year, The Duke and Duchess have also been undertaking meetings as part of their ongoing work to establish a new non-profit organization. The details of this new organization will be shared later in the year."
The new arrangement will be reviewed after 12 months.
It's going to be very interesting to see where Harry, Meghan, and Archie are in a year's time.