Entertainment

Harry and Meghan’s ‘provocative’ new Sussex.com website ‘is a betrayal of their agreement with the late Queen’

Prince Harry and Meghan’s new website using their Sussex titles is a betrayal of their agreement with the late Queen Elizabeth, it was claimed last night.

The couple’s ‘provocative’ decision to relaunch their homepage as ‘Sussex.com’ sparked accusations they are trying to be ‘more Royal’.

Well-placed sources said the new online venture would provide a ‘big challenge’ for Buckingham Palace’s Lord Chamberlain.


The top Royal official must decide whether to take the Sussexes to task or ‘let it slide’ in order to keep the already fragile family peace.

The growing row centres around the Duke and Duchess’s decision to replace their Archewell website – the umbrella name for all their philanthropic and business endeavours – with ‘Sussex.com’.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in June 2018

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in June 2018 

The new website is a challenge for Buckingham Palace's Lord Chamberlain. The outgoing Lord Chamberlain is former MI5 boss Lord Parker of Minsmere, pictured with the Queen in 2019

The new website is a challenge for Buckingham Palace’s Lord Chamberlain. The outgoing Lord Chamberlain is former MI5 boss Lord Parker of Minsmere, pictured with the Queen in 2019


The new homepage for ‘The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ went live on Monday evening.

It features Meghan’s coat of arms and glowing biographies for the couple, as well as the latest news about the pair.

Many close to the royal household believe it is a flagrant breach of the supposedly cast-iron assurances Harry and Meghan gave the late Queen when they acrimoniously quit as working royals in 2020, and comes perilously close to using their royal status for commercial gain.

Others described it as a betrayal of the agreement, ‘if not in letter, certainly in spirit’.


But a source close to the couple brushed off the claims and defended the use of their royal titles for the website.

They said: ‘Prince Harry and Meghan are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. That is a fact. It is their surname and family name.’

The palace has declined to comment, preferring to focus on The King who returned to London yesterday for meetings and cancer treatment.

But one insider said: ‘Buckingham Palace may have its hands tied in taking action. The King has other things he needs to focus on at the moment and the last thing His Majesty needs is another fight with his son. But this won’t go down well at all.’


The new homepage of Sussex.com features an image of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in September 2023

The new homepage of Sussex.com features an image of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in September 2023

The Duchess of Sussex's coat of arms appears on the newly launched Sussex.com website

The Duchess of Sussex’s coat of arms appears on the newly launched Sussex.com website 

Following the so-called ‘Sandringham summit’ in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex agreed to step back from royal duties and not use their HRH titles for business purposes or trade off their royal connections.

They were also forced to put on ice their existing website, Sussexroyal.com, which had been launched weeks earlier without any warning and effectively contained their ‘manifesto’ for a new life half-in, half-out of the royal family. Since then they have traded under their new guise of Archewell.


The couple’s decision to launch Sussex.com this week was therefore seen as reopening old wounds.

Insiders highlighted the decision to use only Meghan’s royal coat of arms on the web page and not Harry’s.

Some theorised that having the prince’s coat of arms would be too provocative ‘even for them’. Others wondered whether it was because ‘ultimately this is a re-branding for Meghan’.

Meghan’s coat of arms reflects her Californian background. The shield contains the colour blue to represent the Pacific Ocean, and yellow rays to symbolise sunshine.


Under the shield is the golden poppy, California’s state flower, and Wintersweet, a flower that grows at Kensington Palace and was also featured on her wedding veil.

This is an image issued by Kensington Palace on May 25, 2018 showing the Duchess of Sussex's new coat of arms which was released at the time of her marriage to Prince Harry

This is an image issued by Kensington Palace on May 25, 2018 showing the Duchess of Sussex’s new coat of arms which was released at the time of her marriage to Prince Harry

The couple's new Sussex.com website has a link at the bottom (circled by MailOnline) under the logo 'The Duke and Duchess of Sussex' which directs users back to SussexRoyal.com

The couple’s new Sussex.com website has a link at the bottom (circled by MailOnline) under the logo ‘The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ which directs users back to SussexRoyal.com

Sussexroyal.com, which the late Queen expressly forbid the couple from using, is still online and has now been updated to include a link to their new website. A source said this appeared to be deliberately ‘provocative’.


One well-placed source told the Daily Mail: ‘They just can’t quite bring themselves to drop all the trappings that come courtesy of the institution they spend their whole time moaning about.’

Another added: ‘So basically their big rebrand… puts being royal first.’

This is emphasised by the use of the royal titles for their children, Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two, in both their biographies.

It appears that the re-design of the couple’s website came as a surprise to Buckingham Palace.


At the time of their departure from life as working royals to seek commercial deals in the US, Buckingham Palace said the Sussexes had ‘made clear that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty’.

The home page of the stylish new website is a deep blue, which fades to a picture of the couple clapping and smiling as they look into the distance.

It is described as the site for ‘The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’, which it says is ‘shaping the future through business and philanthropy’.

The site includes biographies of the couple, describing Harry, 39, as a ‘humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate, and environmental campaigner’ and Meghan, 42, as a ‘feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity’.


Prince Harry, who is fifth in line to the throne, is described on the Sussex.com website as a 'humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate and environmental campaigner'

Prince Harry, who is fifth in line to the throne, is described on the Sussex.com website as a ‘humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate and environmental campaigner’

It goes on to detail how the Duchess has been ‘named one of the most influential women’ in rankings including Time Magazine’s Most Influential People, The Financial Times’ 25 Most Influential Women, Variety Power of Women, and British Vogue’s Vogue 25.

Other than stating that Harry ‘[lives in California with his wife Meghan, and their two children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’, the profile does not make reference to his family.

The web domain Sussex.com was first registered in 1995 but, according to registration records, was updated earlier this month.


A source said the whole rebranding was ‘really pushing it’ in terms of what Harry and Meghan are permitted to do.

‘The only rebrand this looks like is to make them seem more royal. It’s hugely problematic and a real headache for the Lord Chamberlain,’ they said.

The outgoing Lord Chamberlain is former MI5 boss Lord Parker of Minsmere. The most senior official at Buckingham Palace, he is responsible for issues involving protocol. His predecessor, Lord Peel, was an instrumental figure in Harry and Meghan’s departure negotiations.

Another insider noted with wry amusement the ‘modesty’ of the couple, particularly Meghan’s description of herself as a ‘cultural catalyst’.


The duchess’ biography reads: ‘Meghan is a major advocate for mental health, family care and gender equality. The Duchess hopes to be cultural catalyst for positive change, reflecting her core belief that representation matters, and that communities can be enhanced through learning, healing, and inspirational support.’

Meghan, whose Spotify podcast, acting career and lifestyle blog The Tig are all referenced in her biography, is hailed as a 'feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity'

Meghan, whose Spotify podcast, acting career and lifestyle blog The Tig are all referenced in her biography, is hailed as a ‘feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity’

A source added: ‘You just wonder who they have around them that thinks this is a good idea.’

One of the Sussexes’ most senior members of staff is James Holt, who worked for the couple, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales, for a number of years at Kensington Palace. The rest of their team are US appointments.


The launch of the website fuelled speculation that they are trying to reinvigorate their media careers and 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.

But sources warned that their use of their Sussex title and Meghan’s coat of arms 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.’


The row comes ahead of the couple’s trip to Canada this week for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025’s One Year to Go celebrations.

Last week, Harry travelled to the UK to visit the King following his cancer diagnosis but spent just 30 minutes with his father before returning to the US.

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