In 2020, when Prince Harry and Meghan shocked the world with their decision to step back from royal life, the late Queen and other royal officials agreed that the couple should not use the word "royal" in their new branding or capitalize on their HRH titles. Although the new website does not include the word "royal," Ingrid Seward, a biographer and editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, believes that the Sussexes have found a way around the Queen's command, despite her fondness for them.
According to Seward, the late Queen had seen the potential of Harry and Meghan as a couple working for the Commonwealth, which was her father's legacy and had become hers. She saw Meghan's mixed-race heritage, youth, style, and intelligence as assets for the monarchy. However, the Queen was disappointed when her hopes for Harry and Meghan to support the monarchy were not realized. In 2020, instead of being supportive, the couple expressed their desire to step back. It was then that the Queen's determination came into play.
With the support of her husband, the Queen made it clear that Harry and Meghan couldn't have it both ways, being partially in and partially out of the monarchy. She informed them that they couldn't exploit their royal connections for personal financial gain. As a result, she prohibited them from using the website name sussexroyal.com and from using their HRH titles.
The royal expert believes that the late Queen would have been hurt and angry about the latest developments. She sees the use of the slightly different name sussex.com with a link to Sussex Royal as a way of circumventing the Queen's instructions. It is disheartening to witness the half-truths they now seem to rely on to get their way, especially considering the potential they once had.
The launch of the new website comes at a time when the current monarch, King Charles, and Harry's father, is undergoing cancer treatment. When news of the King's health was revealed, Harry hurriedly returned to the UK and had a brief 30-minute meeting with his father. However, the father-son relationship has been strained due to Harry's criticisms of his father in his Netflix series and his controversial memoir, "Spare."
Ingrid Seward explains that the new website will likely add to the discomfort for King Charles. She believes that the ideals promoted by Harry, through his polished American PR team, do not align comfortably with his father's values. Despite the challenges, King Charles is expected to rise above the situation, as he always does. However, it is undoubtedly an additional upset during a time when he is feeling fragile. He has temporarily postponed public duties but continues to work on state papers behind the scenes.
