Harry & Meghan’s new site may be SHUT DOWN by Royal Family for cashing in on titles & ‘would have infuriated Queen’
PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle's new website could be shut down by the Royal Family, sources have claimed.
The couple last night launched Sussex.com to replace their Archewell.com website - and its thought the move could anger the firm.
Archewell.com now automatically redirects to Sussex.com.
While Harry, 39, and 42-year-old Meghan ditched their Archewell website, their foundation in the same name is still in effect.
But sources now believe the use of their Sussex title and the royal crest could annoy the royal family as it “cashes in” on their firm connections.
Speaking to MailOnline, they said: “They are going to have real trouble with the use of Sussex.
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“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.”
Royal expert Angela Levin dubbed the couple "pathetic" for using the royal coat of arms.
She told The Sun: "They are cashing in on their royal connections that they say they hate so much.
"Queen Elizabeth II would be furious because they promised they wouldn't do that.
"They should be stopped from using a title that they spent years insulting."
Their fresh move to rebrand as Sussex.com comes after the Queen banned the couple from using 'SussexRoyal' after they stepped away from royal duty four years ago.
The Queen ordered the Sussexes to mothball it in the January 2020 exit settlement, when Meghan and Harry stopped being senior members of the royal family.
But the new site still links back to the Sussex Royal website.
However, a source close to the couple has now defended the move.
They said: “Prince Harry and Meghan are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. That is a fact. It is their surname and family name.”
Visitors to that site see a notice that reads: "This site was established in 2020 and sets out the work streams of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex prior to their move to the United States."
A link then takes the pair back to Sussex.com.
It comes as the couple is set to appear in Vancouver this week to mark 12 months before Harry's Invictus Games 2025.
ROYAL REBRAND
This is the first rebrand the couple have undergone since they launched Archewell in October 2020.
They had previously used Sussex Royal setting up a website and social media profiles.
Megxit terms mean the couple can use their Duke and Duchess titles but cannot use HRH in their new financial endeavours.
However, the couple has now been accused of "cashing in" on their royal connections - after using their royal crest.
The Duchess of Sussex worked closely with the College of Arms in London to create the design, Kensington Palace said at the time it was first revealed after their royal wedding in May 2018.
In September last year, it was revealed the couple were planning to launch new projects.
On Sussex.com, biographies on Harry and Meghan include the line: "The Duke and Duchess are committed to their mission: Show Up, Do Good.
"They hold the value that charitable work should not simply be a handout, but rather a hand held."
The site also reads: "The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex is shaping the future through business and philanthropy.
"This includes: The Archewell Foundation, Archwell Productions, patronages, ventures, and organizations which receive the support of the couple, individually and/or together."
Prince Harry's bio describes him as "a humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate, and environmental campaigner".
Harry and Meghan's business flops
- Meghan had her upcoming animated series Pearl chucked out by Netflix while in the development stage.
- Then 42-year-old was said to have been “uncharacteristically quiet”, following the loss of her £18million Spotify deal in June last year.
- While Spare initially sold a staggering number of copies demand soon dwindled and a year on its popularity has plummeted with major retailers slashing prices in half.
- Meanwhile, their Netflix documentary also took a hit and the duke and duchess are believed to have been paid only half of their reported £78million contract.
- The pair were poked fun at by comedian Jo Koy at the Golden Globes for “being paid millions by Netflix for doing nothing”.
- Harry’s series, Heart of Invictus, shedding light on the Olympic-style games he started for wounded ex-service competitors also flopped.
- Archewell figures in December last year revealed a hole in the accounts after it received almost £9million less in donations than in a previous year.
It reads: "He has dedicated his adult life to advancing causes that he is passionate about and that advance permanent change for people and places."
The site also describes his time in the Army, names the organisations he's founded, and that he's a New York Times Bestselling author after writing Spare.
Meghan's bio says she's "a feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity".
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The website says: "Her lifelong advocacy for women and girls remains a constant thread in her humanitarian and business ventures."
It goes on to say she "has been named one of the most influential women in the world", had a leading role in show Suits and has served in roles like the UN Women’s Advocate for Women’s Political Participation.