LONDON: Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have decided not to use the word "royal" in their branding after they start a new life in Canada following their decision to step back from royal duties.
The decision follows weeks of talks between the couple and the British royal family about how they will present themselves to the world in the future.
The couple agreed last month with Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, that they would no longer work as royals after their surprise announcement that they wanted to carve out a "progressive new role" which they hope to finance themselves.
"It has been agreed that their non-profit organisation, when it is announced this Spring, will not be named Sussex Royal Foundation," a spokeswoman for the couple said.
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not intend to use ‘SussexRoyal’ in any territory post Spring 2020."
Reuters
The decision follows weeks of talks between the couple and the British royal family about how they will present themselves to the world in the future.
As things stand, Harry and Meghan use the brand extensively.
The couple's Instagram account, which has 11.2 million followers, uses the name SussexRoyal, as does a website set up by the couple which they used to declare they were seeking to be more independent. These will now have to be rebranded.
They also applied to trademark the phrases Sussex Royal and Sussex Royal Foundation for use on books, stationery, clothing such as pyjamas and socks, charity campaigns and the provision of training, sport and social care.
The trademark applications that were filed have been removed, the spokeswoman said.
The future role of the couple has been subject of intense public scrutiny in Britain. There has been much debate about the extent to which the couple should be able to commercialise the royal brand while living independently, at least partly abroad.
Earlier this week, Prince Harry and Meghan announced they will formally step down from their roles as working members of the royal family at the end of March.
Harry has spoken of his sadness at being forced to give up his royal duties, saying there was no other option if he and Meghan, an American actress, were to seek an independent future away from stifling media intrusion.
Under the arrangement, Harry will remain a prince and the couple will keep their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles as they begin a new life split between Britain and North America, where they will spend most of their time.
See You In Court: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle & Other Royals Who Battled It Out With Media
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The Royals Ain't Happy
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly taking legal action against two tabloids for phone hacking and the unauthorised publication of a private letter. A look at other royals who battled it out with the media.
Princess Diana
In 1993, Princess Diana sued the Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) because the Sunday Mirror published secretly-taken pictures of the royal exercising in a gym. She also sought a permanent ban on the publication of the pictures, which showed the princess clad in a leotard and cycling shorts. The paper apologised, and an out-ofcourt settlement was reached. In addition to the apology, the paper reportedly paid Diana’s legal costs of 1 million pounds plus a fur ther 200,000 pounds to charity.
Princess Caroline of Hanover
Princess Caroline is the daughter of the legendary Hollywood star Grace Kelly and Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. She had a troubled relationship with the media growing up. In 2004, Caroline, represented by Matthias Prinz, won a landmark victory in the European Court of Human Rights, which confirmed that the publishing of paparazzi photographs taken of the princess in a public place was a violation of her right to privacy. The court drew a distinction between the activities of Caroline the princess and Caroline the woman.
Swedish Royal Family
Following Princess Caroline’s triumph in court, the Swedish family hired Matthias Prinz to represent them in court. It has been reported that in 2004, Prinz, on behalf of the Swedish royal family and chiefly King Carl XVI Gustaf and his German-born wife Queen Silvia, sued Germany’s biggest publishers over claims of 1,588 made-up stories, including more than 500 front-page ‘exclusives’. It has been reported that Prinz filed cases of defamation and invasion of privacy, which resulted in over 23 media outlets to print replies, apologies and retractions.
Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal
Prince Al-waleed is a Saudi billionaire, investor and a member of the royal family. In 2013, Forbes estimated his fortune at around $20 billion, which, the royal claimed, was less than the amount he disclosed to the magazine. The prince filed a defamation claim in London against the editor and two journalists. The Kingdom Holding Company, founded by Prince Al-Waleed, issued a statement saying that the magazine published a “deliberately insulting and in accurate description of the business community in Saudi Arabia”. In 2015, Forbes and Al-Waleed released statements that they had settled the dispute.
AFP
Reuters
