Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Announce They Will Not Use 'Sussex Royal' Brand After Official Exit
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not use the word “royal” moving forward, a spokesperson for the couple confirmed Friday.
“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,” according to a statement from the spokesperson. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not intend to use ‘SussexRoyal’ in any territory post Spring 2020.”
The spokesperson added that trademark applications that were filed as protective measures, acting on advice from and following the same model for The Royal Foundation, have been removed.
There were previously “ongoing discussions” on whether or not Meghan and Harry could use the word “royal” after their decision to step down as senior members of the family. Their new charity organization was reportedly going to be named “Sussex Royal, the Charity Foundation.”
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It was announced this week that Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, will formally step down as senior royals next month. The agreement reached between Queen Elizabeth and the couple will be put into effect starting March 31, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex says.
Harry and Meghan will also no longer hold an office at Buckingham Palace and will instead be represented by their U.K. charity foundation team.
“The Duke and Duchess will be spending their time in both the United Kingdom and North America,” the spokesperson added. “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.”
“In general, the themes of their cause related work will remain unchanged, which includes the Commonwealth, community, youth empowerment and mental health, collectively.”
A review is still set to follow after 12 months, at which point the royal family will revisit the agreement.
“As there is no precedent for this new model of working and eventual financial independence, the Royal Family and The Sussexes have agreed to an initial 12-month review to ensure the arrangement works for all parties,” the spokesperson said.
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Meghan and Harry will formally retain their “HRH” styles, but they will not actively use them. They will continue to be known as The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as by their titles of The Earl and Countess of Dumbarton and The Baron and Baroness Kilkeel. Prince Harry remains sixth in the line of succession, and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s status in the Order of Precedence is unchanged.
Meghan and Harry — who have been staying in Canada with 9-month-old son Archie — will also be traveling to the U.K. to carry out several engagements over the next few weeks
The prince will team up with singer Jon Bon Jovi on Feb. 28 for a special song recording benefitting the Invictus Games, and he’ll attend the Silverstone Experience opening with Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton on March 6.
The pair will also attend Endeavour Fund Awards on March 5, which acknowledges the wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans who used sports as part of their journey to recovery, and they will also be at the Mountbatten Music Festival at the Royal Albert Hall on March 7.
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They will also attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on Commonwealth Day on March 9 alongside the rest of the royal family. Additionally, Meghan will mark International Women’s Day on March 8.
Harry will be present at the London Marathon on April 26 and the couple will take part in Harry’s Invictus Games held in The Hague, Netherlands in May.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be in the United Kingdom regularly,” the spokesperson adds.
