Meghan Markle and Harry accused of bitter jab at Queen with pointed Archewell logo change | Royal | News (Reports)

Meghan and Prince Harry have launched a new version of their Archewell website, home to both the charity and personal work carried out by the couple. This website now presents also an updated version of the logo, which highlights the values and mission of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s organisation.

Meghan and Harry made some changes to the logo, adding four words around it: community, service, compassion, action.

While the words community, compassion and action have been present on Archewell.com over the past few months, service has been featured so prominently only in this latest update – which comes more than one week after the Queen asked the Sussexes to relinquish all their royal and military patronages.

That sparked a war of words between the Sussexes and Palace. The Palace removed the patronages due to concerns the pair could not continue the level of service required of frontline royals.

In response, the couple sniped back: “Service is universal.”

The inclusion of the word on the new logo appears to indicate Meghan and Harry are still hurt by the snub and will not let the matter lie. 

The change was spotted by royal fans, who accused the pair of hitting out at the Queen.

One said: “Queen Elizabeth spends a lifetime quietly serving her country in total SELF-abnegation. Harry sticks the word ‘service’ on his website.

“Ha! Beat that Grannie! Job done! I could weep!”

Another said: “THEY live to ‘swipe at the palace’,& their U.S.A. LIFE IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH BRITISH ROYAL SERVICE, which is PAID for BY BRITISH TAXPAYERS, since the MONARCHY IS AN INSTITUTION, not A BANK.” 

The first version of the Archewell website launched in October and presented only a landing page explaining the meaning of the organisation’s name and a sign-up form for updated.

There, the couple spoke about action and community.

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Splitting the word Archewell in two, the website explained ‘Arche’ is a Greek word meaning “source of action” while ‘Well’ indicates “a plentiful source or supply; a place we go to dig deep”.

The title of the website read at the time “building compassionate communities”, a goal discussed also by Meghan during one of the Fortune’s Most Powerful Women virtual summits she attended in autumn 2020.   

The word compassion was particularly prominent in the second version of the website, launched in late 2020, which presented a letter to 2021 by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex where they explained they have experienced “compassion and kindness from our mothers and strangers alike”.

The message added: “In the face of fear, struggle and pain, it can be easy to lose sight of this.

“Together, we can choose courage, healing, and connection. Together, we can choose to put compassion in action.

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“We invite you to join us. As we work to build a better world, one act of compassion at a time.” 

The new version of the website featuring the revamped logo with the word ‘service’, unveiled last weekend, focuses on the upcoming International Women’s Day, with a caption explaining: “This month, let’s unleash a groundswell of real acts of compassion for the women in your life and in your community.”

This comes after on February 19 the Queen announced her decision regarding the future links to Britain of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex following Megxit – their decision to step down as senior royals.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family.

“Following conversations with The Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.

“The honorary military appointments and Royal patronages held by The Duke and Duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family.

“While all are saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much-loved members of the family.”

Minutes after the palace made this groundbreaking announcement, Meghan and Harry issued their own statement, in which they set the record straight on what they believe service is and leading royal watchers to think they disagreed with the monarch.

A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said: “As evidenced by their work over the past year, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organisations they have represented regardless of official role.

“We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”

Prince Harry clarified further his view on service during his first post-Megxit appearance on TV.

Speaking about Megxit to TV host and friend James Corden on The Late Late Show with James Corden, the Duke said “it was stepping back rather than stepping down”.

He added: “As far as I am concerned, whatever decisions are made on that side, I will never walk away, I will always be contributing. 

“My life is public service so wherever I am in the world it’s going to be the same thing.”

Prince Harry was also asked by Mr Corden what he expects life to be like now that he has relocated to California and what he is excited for it to be after Megxit once lockdown is over.

He answered: “I have no idea, a slightly different version but a continuation of what we were doing back in the UK anyway.

“My life is always going to be about public service.

“Meghan signed up to that, and the two of us enjoy doing that – trying to bring some compassion, trying to make people happy and trying to change the world in any small way we can.”