The Duchess of Sussex has broken her silence to defend the new Sussex.com site following a spate of criticism.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ‘provocative’ decision to relaunch their Archewell website, the umbrella name for all their philanthropic and business endeavours, with ‘Sussex.com’ had sparked accusations they are trying to be ‘more Royal’.
Royal insiders told MailOnline that the website, created by Canadian agency Article, made ‘no sense’ and created a ‘blurred line between the past and the present’ as the couple were told to drop their ‘Sussex’ title in 2020 after quitting as working royals.
Responding to the criticism Meghan said in a statement: ‘There is a reason I have worked with Ryan and the talented team at Article for a decade: their attention to detail, their creativity and care, and the thoughtful approach to design as well as to the user experience.
‘They’re not just designers; they are collaborators who elevate your ideas into visual identities. They’re a very special company. Plus they’re Canadian, so I’m a fan.’
It comes as Meghan today announced a new podcast deal with female-founded US podcast network Lemonada Media, which aims to ‘make life suck less’ with shows around sex, grief and LGBTQ issues.
The Duchess of Sussex has broken her silence to defend the new Sussex.com site following a spate of criticism
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in September 2023. The photograph now appears on the Home page of sussex.com
Their ‘About’ page reads: ‘The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex is shaping the future through business and philanthropy’
Prince Harry and Meghan unveiled their new website Sussex.com earlier this week, which modestly insists the pair are ‘shaping the future through business and philanthropy.’
The website is operated by ‘The Office of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ and is a ‘one-stop shop’ for all their activities.
But there is no reference in their biographies about any of their links to the Royal Family – with Harry, who is fifth in line to the throne, described as a ‘humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate and environmental campaigner’.
Sussex.com is minimalistic by design and features a large photograph of the couple on the home page.
It has links to the Archewell Foundation and Archewell Productions, as well as the controversial sussexroyal.com website launched in 2020 to coincide with their decision to step back as working royals.
It is thought the Duke and Duchess will use the site to share their personal and official updates, keeping people informed through the ‘News’ section.
Their ‘About’ page reads: ‘The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex is shaping the future through business and philanthropy.
‘This includes: The Archewell Foundation, Archewell Productions, patronages, ventures, and organizations which receive the support of the couple, individually and/or together.’
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
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
A Daily Mail graphic from 2018 showing what each aspect of Meghan’s coat of arms means
There is also a page dedicated to Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, detailing their backgrounds and achievements.
Prince Harry’s biography references his 10-years served in the British Armed Forces and as a New York Times bestselling author of Spare, ‘a memoir of his life told with compassion, vulnerability and unflinching honesty’.
Meghan’s biography refers to her advocacy work, her career in the entertainment industry as a lead role in the TV series ‘Suits’ and as a NY Times bestselling author of children’s book ‘The Bench’ and ‘Together: Our Community Kitchen’.
Their biographies include the line: ‘They are committed to their mission: Show Up, Do Good. They hold the value that charitable work should not simply be ‘a handout, but rather a hand held’.
The Archewell Foundation was set up by the Duke and Duchess to ‘build meaningful initiatives’ and ‘drive long-term change’.
Archewell Productions was founded in 2020 and is ‘dedicated to illuminating thought-provoking and diverse narratives that underscore our common humanity and celebrate community.’
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.
Well-placed sources said the new online website 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.
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 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
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’
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’
Experts have also pointed out that the website launch comes just a week after it was revealed King Charles III had been diagnosed with cancer, and Kate Middleton continues her recuperation at home following abdominal surgery.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline: ‘The Sussexes have a curious sense of timing.
‘The question is not whether it is their right to launch a new website Sussexes.com with their coat of arms and using their royal titles, but the extraordinary timing.
‘Only a week ago Harry was visiting his father who, as we know, is fighting cancer. The Royal Family is therefore much in the news with the Princess of Wales recuperating from what appears to be a serious illness.
‘As members of the Royal Family, having stepped down from royal duties, it would surely be more sensitive and more sensible to leave their rebrand until later in the year.
‘The bizarre aspect of this is that although that is likely to be the way the world perceives it, they apparently cannot see that this is spectacularly ill-timed.’
Harry, who lives in California with his wife and their two children – Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – flew to the UK last Tuesday to meet with his father following his diagnosis.
He made the visit without Meghan and their children less than 24 hours after the announcement about Charles’s health was made to the nation by Buckingham Palace.
But there was no meeting with his brother, the Prince of Wales, after Harry spent around 45 minutes at Clarence House seeing Charles.
Speaking about how the website states the couple are ‘shaping the future through business and philanthropy’, Mr Fitzwilliams added: ‘We are waiting for some new ideas which don’t involve monetising their royal connections for gain as they so brutally did on Oprah and in Harry’s memoir Spare.
‘It is worth bearing in mind that the Invictus Games, as well as Harry’s WellChild and Sentebale charitable commitments, were all created by Harry before their marriage.
He also spoke about how the website links back to the SussexRoyal.com domain – despite the couple being told in 2020 that they had to drop their ‘Sussex Royal’ label after deciding to step down as working royals.
The Daily Mail reported at the time that Queen Elizabeth II and senior officials were believed to have agreed it was no longer tenable for the couple to keep the word ‘royal’ in their ‘branding’.
Harry and Meghan first began using the Sussex Royal branding in 2019 after they split their household from that of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – known as Kensington Royal.
Meghan has also released a new photo of herself wearing Princess Diana’s old watch to announce a podcast deal just hours after the couple launched their new website Sussex.com.
Prince Harry and Meghan at the Bob Marley: One Love film premiere in Jamaica on January 23
Meghan Markle is pictured recording her Spotify podcast which launched in August 2022
Female-founded US podcast network Lemonada Media took to X to share the news of their new podcast deal with Meghan
The Duchess of Sussex said she was ‘overjoyed’ to make a ‘dynamic’ new series after joining forces with female-founded US podcast network Lemonada Media, which aims to ‘make life suck less’ with shows around sex, grief and LGBTQ issues .
The move, which comes after the couple’s £18million Spotify contract ended early last year, will also see Lemonada distribute Meghan’s previous series Archetypes.
She made the announcement on Sussex.com just 24 hours after the website was launched, alongside a new portrait photo taken by her friend Misan Harriman.
Meghan wore a £310 Totem grey dress and a gold Cartier watch worth £17,800 which once belonged to her husband Prince Harry’s late mother Princess Diana.
She also had a £5,000 Cartier Love bracelet, which she has worn many times in the past and is said to have been a gift from Harry in the early days of their romance.
The Duchess had her dark brown hair styled in large curls, and previously sported the look and dress at the 2023 Invictus Games in Dusseldorf last September.
Hinting that other projects could be in the pipeline, Meghan said the deal was a ‘fantastic way to kick off 2024’ and she was ‘eager’ to share the new podcast.
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