Queen bans ‘Sussex Royal’: what now for Harry and Meghan?

The Queen has banned Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from using the “Sussex Royal” brand as they step down from royal duties.

Following lengthy talks, the Queen and senior royal officials have reportedly decided that the couple can no longer keep the word “royal” in any of their branding.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their decision to step down as “senior” royals in early January, and have since moved to Canada to start a life of “financial independence”.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Where is the title currently used?

The couple use the handle “sussexroyal” on their Instagram page, which has more than 11 million followers.

The handle was originally used by a Sussex driving instructor who supports Reading FC, who are nicknamed “the Royals”. The handle was taken off him and given to Harry and Meghan without him being notified.

Kevin Keiley said the first he knew of the change was when he got a text: “I got a jokey text from my son which said ‘Ha ha, I see your handle has gone then’,” he told BBC Radio 1.

And the couple have spent “tens of thousands of pounds on a new Sussex Royal website to complement their hugely popular Instagram feed”, reports Mail Online.

Harry and Meghan have also taken steps to set up a new charitable organisation: Sussex Royal, The Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The Duke and Duchess had planned to trademark the Sussex Royal brand, but multiple formal objections were raised when they applied to trademark the term with the Intellectual Property Office.

They had hoped for an international trademark on items including clothing, stationery, books and teaching materials.

Ben Evans, senior associate and chartered trademark attorney at Blake Morgan, told the BBC someone could formally oppose a trademark registration if they objected to the description – for example, objecting to “royal” because the couple are no longer royals.

The Sussex Royal brand could make the couple “an absolute fortune” and make them bigger than the Beckhams and Obamas, according to experts.

Retail expert Andy Barr told Sky News: “They’re a huge brand and influencers in their own right.

“They’re going to be the most famous brand in the world – the Beckhams, Obamas, Bill Gates – they’re going to far surpass them, they’re such a major brand already.”

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Will the couple need a complete re-brand?

The Mail reports that it has been made clear that the couple will need to re-brand, though the “fine detail” is still being thrashed out.

A source told the paper: “In many ways this is inevitable given their decision to step down, but it must surely come as a blow to the couple as they have invested everything into the Sussex Royal brand. The Queen would have had little choice, however.

“The Sussexes’ original plan – of being half-in, half-out working royals – was never going to work. Obviously, as the Queen has made clear, they are still much-loved members of her family.

“But if they aren’t carrying out official duties and are now seeking other commercial opportunities, they simply cannot be allowed to market themselves as royals.”

A leading PR agent said last month that the pair should fight to keep the brand: “They have to fight for it. What else are they going to be? Harry and Meghan Windsor?” said Mark Borkowski.

Changing it would be “expensive and incredibly complicated”, he said. “There will be a lot of entrepreneurs out there who have been looking at variations of that name and who have been creating land grabs for it.”

A possible solution would be to use the Sussex Royal name for charitable business only, David Haigh, chief executive of Brand Finance, a brand valuation consultancy, told The Guardian.

“Personally, I think they would be well advised to do that. They could have different trademarks for their commercial activities and that would make it clear to everyone they are not trying to trade on their royal heritage, at least not so obviously.”

Buckingham Palace has said that the couple’s new life away from royal duties will begin in the spring of this year.