Prince Harry and Meghan have risked a fresh row with the Royal Family after launching a new website last night that uses their Sussex title.
The couple replaced their Archewell webpage with a site called Sussex.com that includes their biographies and lists their recent activities.
But sources warned that their use of their Sussex title and their royal crest for what appeared to be commercial purposes could provoke complaints from the Palace.
One said: ‘They are going to have real trouble with the use of Sussex. It is a royal title and if there is any hint of commercialism about this it will be shut down. It’s just staggering they cannot see how gauche it is.
However, a source close to the couple said last night: ‘Prince Harry and Meghan are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. That is a fact. It is their surname and family name.’
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in September 2023. The photograph now appears on the Home page of sussex.com
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s royal crest features prominently on the new Sussex.com website and could cause tensions as a result
The launch of the website fuelled speculation that they are trying to reinvigorate their media careers.
The homepage for ‘The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ went live yesterday evening. It features glowing biographies for both Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, as well as the latest news about the pair.
The duke is described as a ‘humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate and environmental campaigner’. His wife is hailed as a ‘feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity’.
The Sussexes’ online rebranding comes amid speculation that they may be seeking new production companies to work with. Their £18million deal with Spotify recently came to an end, and there have been rumours that streaming giant Netflix may not renew its £80million contract with them.
The website is operated by ‘The Office of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ and is a ‘one-stop shop’ for all their activities.
Their ‘About’ page reads: ‘The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex is shaping the future through business and philanthropy’
The Sussex.com website contains flowery descriptions of the Duke and Duchess
It comes ahead of the couple’s trip to Canada for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025’s One Year to Go celebrations.
Sussex.com is minimalistic by design and features a large photograph of the couple on the home page.
It has links to the Archewell Foundation and Archewell Productions, as well as the controversial sussexroyal.com website launched in 2020 to coincide with their decision to step back as working royals.
It is thought the Duke and Duchess will use the site to share their personal and official updates, keeping people informed through the ‘News’ section.
Their ‘About’ page reads: ‘The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex is shaping the future through business and philanthropy.
‘This includes: The Archewell Foundation, Archewell Productions, patronages, ventures, and organizations which receive the support of the couple, individually and/or together.’
There is also a page dedicated to Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, detailing their backgrounds and achievements.
Prince Harry’s biography references his 10-years served in the British Armed Forces and as a New York Times bestselling author of Spare, ‘a memoir of his life told with compassion, vulnerability and unflinching honesty’.
Meghan’s biography refers to her advocacy work, her career in the entertainment industry as a lead role in the TV series ‘Suits’ and as a NY Times bestselling author of children’s book ‘The Bench’ and ‘Together: Our Community Kitchen’.
Their biographies include the line: ‘They are committed to their mission: Show Up, Do Good. They hold the value that charitable work should not simply be ‘a handout, but rather a hand held’.
The Archewell Foundation was set up by the Duke and Duchess to ‘build meaningful initiatives’ and ‘drive long-term change’.
Archewell Productions was founded in 2020 and is ‘dedicated to illuminating thought-provoking and diverse narratives that underscore our common humanity and celebrate community.’
Prince Harry dashed to London from LA last week to see his father King Charles, who was recently diagnosed with cancer
Following the announcement of the King’s illness on Monday, Prince Harry, 39, flew to London from California where he lives with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children.
The Duke of Sussex took a commercial British Airways flight from Los Angeles arriving at Buckingham Palace at 2.42pm.
He then spent around 45 minutes chatting with his father, which is thought to be their first proper contact in 15 months.
It was their first formal meeting in person since the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022.
Meanwhile, Meghan Markle joined 15 women who have resettled in the US from Afghanistan to cook traditional Afghan food over the weekend.
The Duchess of Sussex (centre) prepared Afghan food together with 15 Afghan women now living in the US on Saturday
The Duchess of Sussex created The Welcome Project in 2023 together with the Archewell Foundation, which she set up together with Prince Harry.
The programme is supposed to create ‘a safe haven and inclusive environment for women who have recently resettled in the US from Afghanistan’, according to a press release by the Archewell Foundation.
On Saturday, Meghan joined the Southern California Welcome Project for an evening of cooking and storytelling.