Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made an extraordinary statement laying bare their frustrations after being forced to drop their Sussex Royal brand.
The couple claimed the Queen does not have ‘jurisdiction’ over the term ‘royal’ overseas in a lengthy post confirming they would no longer be trademarking the name.
In a post outlining their new roles within the monarchy, they suggested they had been treated differently to other royals who have been allowed to seek employment outside of the institution while retaining their titles.
Expressing regret they had not received all the concessions they had hoped for, the statement said: ‘The preference of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex was to continue to represent and support Her Majesty The Queen albeit in a more limited capacity, while not drawing on the Sovereign Grant.
‘While there is precedent for other titled members of the Royal Family to seek employment outside of the institution, for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a 12-month review period has been put in place.’
Harry and Meghan shocked the world when they announced plans to step back from their duties as senior members of the royal family and ‘transition into a new working model’ last month.
They made the statement on Friday night, hours after Buckingham Palace announced they would be abandoning their attempts to work under the name ‘Sussex Royal’.
The couple had applied for a UK trademark for the term, which covered hundreds of items including printed matter, clothing, campaigning, charitable fundraising, education and social care services.
The Sussexes statement did not deviate drastically from Buckingham Palace’s, but made clear they could use the term ‘royal’ in their branding if they wanted to.
It said: ‘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.
‘While there is not any jurisdiction by The Monarchy or Cabinet Office over the use of the word ‘Royal’ overseas, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not intend to use ‘Sussex Royal’ or any iteration of the word ‘Royal’ in any territory (either within the UK or otherwise) when the transition occurs Spring 2020.’
Legal experts said it would have been ‘highly deceptive’ to have a trademarked name that suggests royal endorsement if the Duke and Duchess are no longer working members of the family.
The couple had hoped to have a more limited role within the monarchy that would allow them to become financially independent while still representing the Queen.
They said the trademark had been filed as a protective measure which ‘reflected the same standard trademarking requests as done for The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’.
Instead of setting up a Sussex Royal foundation, as previously planned, they will ‘develop a new way to effect change and complement the efforts made by so many excellent foundations globally’.
The statement also addresses the sticky issue of security. Protection for Meghan and Harry is estimated to cost taxpayers in Canada and the UK between £3million and £6million a year.
The statement said: ‘It is agreed that The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will continue to require effective security to protect them and their son. This is based on The Duke’s public profile by virtue of being born into The Royal Family, his military service, the Duchess’ own independent profile, and the shared threat and risk level documented specifically over the last few years.’
This could be seen as a dig at the media, with whom the couple have a fractious relationship.
The pair have frequently criticised intrusions into their privacy and inaccurate reporting, which played a huge role in their desire to step back from public life.
The statement said the Queen was understanding of their wishes ‘to live a more independent life as a family, by removing the supposed ‘public interest’ justification for media intrusion into their lives’.
It stressed that they remain a valued part of Her Majesty’s family and would be retaining their royal patronages.
The Sussexes new role was agreed after a summit of senior royals was convened by the Queen at Sandringham to discuss their desire to take a step back and strive for financial independence. It will be reviewed after a 12 month period.
The couple said they had hoped to share details of the future sooner ‘to mitigate any confusion and subsequent misreporting’.
They confirmed they were forced to close their London office as it was funded by the Prince of Wales’ estate, and said they informed staff at the end of January.
The move had attracted criticism in the press, with some accusing them of ‘axing staff’.
The statement said: ‘Over the last month and a half, The Duke and Duchess have remained actively involved in this process, which has understandably been saddening for The Duke and Duchess and their loyal staff, given the closeness of Their Royal Highnesses and their dedicated team.’
Harry and Meghan will stop using their Sussex Royal brand after Spring, meaning the name of their website and Instagram must change.
They will no longer be known as HRH and plan to split their time between Canada and the UK.
Their new role will be reviewed within 12 months.
The couple said they are still working on setting up a non-profit charity, with more details expected to follow soon.
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