Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have replaced their Sussex Royal monogram on their stationery with their Archewell logo.
The Duke, 36, and Duchess of Sussex, 39,were met with criticism last year after they continued to use their official cypher, which features their initials H and M intertwined with a crown on top, after stepping back from royal duty.
However the pair have started using the logo for their new foundation Archewell on recent letters instead, including for a note penned by the Duchess to a London school she visited last year and shared for International Women’s Day.
The changes comes after the couple were told they could not continue with ‘the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service’ and gave an explosive interview to Oprah Winfrey about their time in the royal family.
Robert Clack school in London shared a letter penned by the Duchess online, which features the Archewell logo as the masthead
Meghan Markle, 39, and Prince Harry, 36, have dropped their royal monogram from their stationery and replaced it with their Archewell logo for a letter to students at the Robert Clack school in Dagenham, which Meghan visited last year (pictured)
Last week, the Duchess wrote a heartfelt letter to the students of the Robert Clack Upper School, urging them to ‘learn about the trailblazing women who came before us.’
In a note which was shared on Twitter by the organisation, Meghan said she looked back on her visit to the Dagenham school with ‘such fond memories’, writing: ‘I think of you all frequently, especially recognising how difficult it’s been for students and families during the past year.’
‘This International Women’s Day, in collaboration with the work of our non-profit organisation, Archewell Foundation, we are encouraging everybody to participate in real acts of compassion for the women in their lives and their community.
‘One suggestion we have is to take a moment to learn about the trailblazing women who came before us.’
Meghan’s note comes days after Meghan and Prince Harry used their new stationery to pen a letter to the incredible women behind a Grenfell community kitchen to mark International Women’s Day.
The Duke and Duchess praised the Hubb Community Kitchen for their ‘compassionate example’ and said they ‘frequently talk about how much we miss all of you’.
The couple’s royal monogram was revealed weeks after their wedding in July 2018.
They were met with criticism last year after continuing to use their monogram after stepping back from royal duty.
The Duke and Duchess faced criticism last year as they continued to use their royal monogram despite having stepped back from public duty
Meghan penned a lengthy note to Robert Clack School, which she visited last March during her final duties as a senior royal
Noting the use of crowns in their monogram on one letter, one person wrote: ‘Why there’s still royal “logo “?? thought they’re banned to use it?’.
The Duke and Duchess were stripped of their royal and sporting patronages by the Queen last month, and announced they are expecting their second child on Valentine’s Day.
In a joint statement on their newly-updated website, the pair wrote: ‘Welcome to Archewell. Through our non-profit work, as well as creative activations, we drive systemic cultural change across all communities, one act of compassion at a time.’
Days ago, Meghan and Prince Harry sent a thoughtful letter on their new stationery (pictured) to the women behind a Grenfell community kitchen to mark International Women’s Day
The couple’s original Archewell site featured an emotive letter about Prince Harry, Meghan and their relationship with their mothers.
The site plugs the couple’s commercial ventures – Archewell Audio, the brand they have chosen for their £30m podcasting deal with Spotify, and Archewell Productions, their chosen name for their Netflix production tie-up said to be worth as much as £100m.
Since stepping down as senior royals in March and moving to the US, the couple have been working towards this moment to officially launch, albeit softly, the website and the philosophy behind their organisation Archewell.
Their decision to leave was based as much about financial as personal freedom and the huge sums gives them the capital to pursue their new lifestyle and public goals.
The Sussexes updated their Archewell website last month, swapping an image of Prince Harry’s late mother with a picture of the couple volunteering in California
The couple announced they had secured a deal with Spotify last year. It was commercial deals such as this that put the couple at odds with the impartiality required of those in public service and seemingly led to the permanent split with the Firm.
Archewell is expected to focus on the issues the couple have been championing during the pandemic and before – racial justice, gender equity, climate change, mental health, online hate speech and empowering diverse voices.
The foundation’s partnership with a range of academic and tech organisations will include financial support.
Marketing executives have predicted Archewell will become a ‘billion-dollar brand’. .