The Queen awards her closest family members new royal titles on their wedding days. As the Queen’s grandson, Prince Harry was given the Duchy of Sussex on his wedding day in 2018, and his wife Meghan Markle subsequently became the Duchess of Sussex. But earlier this year the Sussexes walked away from royal life, which has changed how the couple will be titled going forward.
After their glamorous wedding at St George’s Chapel Windsor in 2018, everyone believed Harry and Meghan would become working members of the Royal Family.
Initially this was the case, but in January 2020 the Sussexes announced they no longer wished to carry out their senior royal roles.
After many weeks of discussions, it was agreed Harry and Meghan would be able to pursue their own income and maintain their patronages, but they would not be able to carry out any official engagements on behalf of the Crown.
As part of the terms of their exit, the couple have been allowed to keep their royal titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
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The Sussex Royal website explains: “While The Duke and Duchess are focused on plans to establish a new non-profit organisation, given the specific UK government rules surrounding use of the word ‘Royal’, it has been therefore agreed that their non-profit organisation will not utilise the name ‘Sussex Royal’ or any other iteration of ‘Royal.’
“For the above reason, the trademark applications that had been filed as protective measures and that reflected the same standard trademarking requests as done for The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have been removed.”
Following a brief return to the UK in March to complete their final round of royal engagements, Harry and Meghan returned to North America to be with their son, Archie Harrison.
The Sussexes are currently residing in California, and royal fans are still waiting for news on the couple’s new charitable platform, Archewell.
Little is known about the platform, but it’s name was announced to the Telegraph earlier this year.
Harry and Meghan told the publication: “Like you, our focus is on supporting efforts to tackle the global Covid-19 pandemic but faced with this information coming to light, we felt compelled to share the story of how this came to be.
“Before SussexRoyal, came the idea of Arche – the Greek word meaning source of action.
“We connected to this concept for the charitable organisation we hoped to build one day, and it became the inspiration for our son’s name. To do something of meaning, to do something that matters.
“Archewell is a name that combines an ancient word for strength and action, and another that evokes the deep resources we each must draw upon.
“We look forward to launching Archewell when the time is right.”
