How gin nearly took the fizz out of Prince Harry’s dream

How gin nearly took the fizz out of Prince Harry’s dream: Two brothers who applied to register the Sussex Royal trademark in Canada for their own drinks range withdraw their request

While Canada seems to offer the Duke and Duchess of Sussex everything they could want in a new country to call home, the one thing they need is commercial protection if they are to make their own way financially.

But the ambitions of the blue-blooded couple have already hit red tape after a pair of young brothers from Montreal stole a march on them last week by applying to register a trademark on ‘Sussex Royal’ in Canada.

I can reveal Alexander and Matthew Mikus, 22 and 19, planned to sell an upmarket gin under the brand. ‘There is a real craze for the royal couple and we thought it had potential, that it was an evocative name for a product like gin,’ says Alexander, whose parents are established distillers. ‘There are 60 distilleries in Quebec alone making gins. More gin is never a bad thing.’

Matthew Mikus

Alexander and Matthew Mikus had applied to trademark the name Sussex Royal in Canada so they could use the brand to promote an upmarket gin

Meghan and Harry have applied to register the trademark Sussex Royal across the globe as part of their plan to stand down as senior members of the Royal Family

Meghan and Harry have applied to register the trademark Sussex Royal across the globe as part of their plan to stand down as senior members of the Royal Family

The Sussex Royal brand features Harry and Meghan's first initials underneath a crown

The Sussex Royal brand features Harry and Meghan’s first initials underneath a crown

A sentiment with which the Queen Mother would surely have concurred, as it was her favourite tipple.

Harry and Meghan had already registered the Sussex Royal brand with the UK authorities as their ‘intellectual property’ and trademarked it on everything from pyjamas to hoodies. They are now in the process of applying to the World Intellectual Property Organisation to extend it globally. The application, covering Australia, Canada, the EU and the US, was filed in December in the name of their new foundation.

However, the Mikus brothers are just the latest businessmen to try to cash in by buying up the local domain name before the global application has been approved.

Whether the Sussexes can still use the word royal is one of the issues ‘to be worked through’ after the Queen banned them from cashing in on their credentials, say palace aides.

Fortunately for Harry and Meghan, it seems the Canadian booze-making brothers didn’t have the bottle to take them on. Just days after the trademark application was filed, I can reveal they wrote to the Canadian authorities to withdraw their request.

A source tells me: ‘They just didn’t want to be associated with the media frenzy surrounding the royals or have their names tied to that debacle.’

Harry and Meghan won this particular battle. So triples all round!

 

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