The Sussex website rebrand: Harry and Meghan 2.0

Rarely has a website caused as much consternation as one newly revealed by the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that uses their royal titles – the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The couple's new site, sussex.com, replaces their previous archewell.com, and "will bring more personal updates about the Duke and Duchess's activities", said The Independent. The website features a large photograph of the pair at last year's Invictus Games, overlayed with their royal coat of arms and the title: "The office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex".

Some royal observers are less than impressed, though. One told the Daily Mail that the use of their Sussex title and royal crest for what appears to be commercial purposes "could provoke complaints from the Palace".

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"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."

Latest rebrand for Harry and Meghan

The launch of the new site comes as the King's "slimmed-down monarchy has been put under pressure in a way not seen before during his reign", said ITV, with the 75-year-old monarch postponing his public-facing duties after his cancer diagnosis, and the Princess of Wales recuperating from abdominal surgery.

The website marks the latest rebrand for Harry and Meghan, who distanced themselves from the Sussex title in 2020 after their departure for the United States. After quitting their roles as working royals, the use of the "Sussex Royal" tag "became a topic of debate at Buckingham Palace", said The Independent. As the pair had stepped down from royal duties, it meant that they were entitled to use their duke and duchess titles, but not the "HRH" styling.

Archewell then replaced the Sussex Royal brand, with the name inspired by their son Archie, combining the Greek word "arche", meaning "source of action", and "well", meaning "a plentiful source or supply; a place we go to dig deep". The new website has links to the couple's non-profit organisation the Archewell Foundation and their production company Archewell Productions.

'If he can't use the royal coat of arms, who can?'

Sussex.com has "fuelled speculation" that the couple are "trying to reinvigorate their media careers", said the Daily Mail. The online rebranding comes at a time when they "may be seeking new production companies to work with" after their £18 million deal with Spotify recently came to an end. There have also been "rumours" that streaming giant Netflix "may not renew its £80 million contract with them", said the paper

While there's been some "ill-natured" commentary about the Sussexes' use of their title and royal coat of arms, "to do Harry justice, he is actually the King's younger son", said Melanie McDonagh in the London Evening Standard. "If he can't use the royal coat of arms, who can?" The couple can use the title "even if dukes once didn't go in so openly for monetising their assets".

But one would assume that if Harry and Meghan really were so keen to be "shot of their miserable lives as royals" they would rid themselves of the royal title bestowed on them by the late Queen and instead "simply style themselves 'Mr and Mrs Windsor-Mountbatten' and be done with it", said Sarah Vine in the Daily Mail. "But, of course, they won't because that would affect their currency as royals. Hence the name of the new website."