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Yesterday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex launched their new site, sussex.com. I was honestly a little bit surprised that they are using their Sussex titles for the site, since the whole reason they created the Archewell branding was to comply with the Windsors’ demands that they stay away from anything royal-branded or royal-adjacent. That being said, it’s been four years since they left and it’s clear that the Windsors aren’t going to remove their Sussex titles, so who really cares? Plus, they aren’t using “royal” in their branding, but they are using their Sussex coat-of-arms.
Anyway, the Windsors and their media handlers can’t decide what upsets them more, the fact that they’re “using their titles” or the fact that they’re barely mentioning anything or anyone on Isla de Saltines. The Mail threw a hissy fit because “Prince Harry notably failed to mention being a member of the Royal Family” – shades of “why didn’t Harry talk about his father at the NFL Honors!!” Now “sources” are complaining that sussex.com is terribly “gauche.”
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.’
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.
Y’all, I check royal.uk every now and then and I find it staggering how poorly operated it is. It’s been seventeen months since QEII died and there are still so many updates left to be made to so many of the pages. My point? It’s a bit rich to throw this kind of tantrum about the Sussexes simply trying to organize their own stand-alone page when the Windsors’ website looks like it’s being run by a crack team of howler monkeys. The whole “it’s gauche to sell things with your title” thing is absurd as well, given that there’s royal-branded gin and liquors, the Duchy Originals food line, royal-branded honey, and on and on.
Screencap courtesy of sussex.com, photos courtesy of Cover Images.
Prince Harry speaking during the Invictus Games opening ceremony at the Merkur Spiel-Arena.
Featuring: Prince Harry
Where: Dusseldorf, Germany
When: 09 Sep 2023
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages
**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex during day 2 of Invictus Games 2023 at the Merkur Spiel-Arena
Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Where: Dusseldorf, Germany
When: 11 Sep 2023
Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images
**NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle attend day 4 of the Invictus Games at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf
Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan Markle
Where: Dusseldorf, Germany
When: 13 Sep 2023
Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images
**NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex during day 4 of Invictus Games 2023 at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf.
Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan Markle
Where: Dusseldorf, Germany
When: 13 Sep 2023
Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images
**NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive to watch sitting volleyball at the Merkur Spiel-Arena during the Invictus Games
Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Where: Dusseldorf, Germany
When: 15 Sep 2023
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages
**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
