ROYAL SPAT

Prince Harry and Meghan Snipe at the Queen for Banning ‘Royal’ From Their Brand

The pair, who initially said they wouldn’t use ‘Sussex Royal’ branding, now claim the Queen doesn’t own the word.

After initially saying on Friday that they would refrain from using “Sussex Royal” in their branding due to UK government rules, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle now claim the Queen doesn’t own the word ‘royal’. In a lengthy statement reportedly published on their personal website late Friday, Harry and Meghan laid out details of how they would disentangle themselves from the British monarchy and begin their “revised roles” in spring 2020, including veiled jabs at the Queen. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in early January that they would be stepping away from official royal duties. The couple had filed for a large number of trademarks that included “Sussex Royal” on everything from clothing to counseling services over the past two years as they prepared for a move to private life, but the Queen snuffed those ambitions out this week as she forbid them from using the words in their branding. 

The pair added a statement to their website pointing out that she had no legal authority to do so but they would abide by her decree. “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,” the statement said.