Meghan’s coat of arms, glitzy PR images and a curious link back to their old royal site: Inside the Sussex’s glossy new web page that signposts visitors back to their work promoting the monarchy… but makes no mention of it in their 500-word bios

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle linking their new Sussex.com site back to their old domain SussexRoyal.com was today branded ‘extremely strange’ and an ‘aberration’.

The Duke and Duchess were told by the late Queen Elizabeth II and senior officials to drop their ‘Sussex Royal’ label in February 2020 after quitting as working royals.

But the SussexRoyal.com site is still live four years later, with a disclaimer stating that it ‘sets out the work streams’ of Harry and Meghan ‘prior to their move’ to the US.

Now, the couple’s glitzy Sussex.com website has a link at the bottom under the logo ‘The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’, which directs users back to SussexRoyal.com.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline today that it ‘makes no sense to include a name they can’t use, adding: ‘It is something of an aberration.’

Brand and culture expert Nick Ede added that the connection ‘creates a blurred line between the past and the present which may cause confusion’, but had a function of ‘reminding people of their work when they were working royals’. He also joked that traffic ‘will come from tourists thinking they are searching for the best places for fish and chips in the county of Sussex rather than the office of the Duke and Duchess’.

On the new website, there appears to be no mention of ‘serving the monarchy’ – a phrase which remains prominent on SussexRoyal.com, which was launched in 2020. 

Meanwhile it was also revealed today that Sussex.com uses Meghan’s coat of arms approved by Elizabeth II when she became Duchess upon her wedding in May 2018. 

Meghan worked with the College of Arms to design the coat of arms which aimed to represent her personally and her American roots, before the Queen signed off on it.

The coat of arms on Sussex.com is Meghan’s impaled with – meaning it is placed side by side on the same shield – Harry’s. MailOnline believes it is therefore not unusual that there is no image of Harry’s coat of arms, granted in September 2002.

Today, royal observers also noticed that Meghan’s biography on Sussex.com was 220 words longer than Harry’s – at 558 words compared to 338.

The Duke and Duchess replaced their Archewell webpage last night with a site called Sussex.com that includes their biographies and recent activities.

The website for ‘The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ features glowing descriptions about the work of both Harry and Meghan.

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’.

And Meghan, whose Spotify podcast, acting career and lifestyle blog The Tig are all referenced, is hailed as a ‘feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity’.

It comes as sources warned use of their Sussex title and royal crest for what appeared to be commercial purposes could provoke complaints from Buckingham Palace.

Today, experts 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.

And Mr Fitzwilliams said ‘The late Queen forbade them to use Sussex Royal. To include it in this website seems extremely strange. It makes no sense to include a name they can’t use. It is something of an aberration.’

Brand and culture expert Nick Ede also spoke about the new Sussex.com website today, joking that it was a ‘great way for the Sussexes to centralise their brands and businesses, however I think a lot of traffic will come from tourists thinking they are searching for the best places for fish and chips in the county of Sussex rather than the office of the Duke and Duchess’.

He added that it was a ‘really good idea to create a website like this and build their brand and highlight their achievements in this manner’, and it would be a ‘very good way for people to see what they are doing and all the great purpose driven work they have dedicated themselves too’.

Mr Ede said he has maintained that this year is ‘a year for them to build their brand and cement their status so with the Invictus Games and more from Meghan in the lifestyle sphere coming imminently they have done the right thing and created this strong brand identity’.

He continued: ‘Lots of businesses rebrand themselves as they progress and this development feels like a good way of informing their supporters of what they doing and how they are shaping theirs and other’s futures.’

Speaking about the link back to SussexRoyal.com, Mr Ede said it was a ‘way of establishing their history pre and post leaving the UK and it’s a way of reminding people of their work when they were working royals’.

He added: ‘They did the job and they are entitled to show what their achievements were but it still creates a blurred line between the past and the present which may cause confusion.’

Mr Ede also spoke about why he thought Meghan’s biography was more than 200 words longer than Harry’s.

He said: ‘I think Meghan is the one who has to establish herself more than Harry in this new era.

‘We know his passion is for Invictus and he seems to be concentrating on that and developing it into an even bigger enterprise.

‘But we still are not 100 per cent sure where Meghan is going to drive her passions and skills yet – whether this is as a brand ambassador, producer, writer or philanthropist or all of them.

‘It’s her time to assert who she is and so her biography is longer to add more weight to who she is and what she has done.’

The Duke and Duchess have found themselves at the centre of a row after being accused of using their title and crest for what appeared to be commercial purposes after replacing their Archewell webpage with Sussex.com. 

The launch of the new website, which went live yesterday evening, fuelled speculation that they are trying to reinvigorate their media careers. 

But a source close to the couple brushed off the claims and defended the use of their royal titles. 

They said: ‘Prince Harry and Meghan are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. That is a fact. It is their surname and family name.’

There appeared to be no mention of the the phrase ‘serving the monarchy’ – which was prominent on their previous website SussexRoyal.com, launched in 2020. 

Meanwhile, others warned that the webpage, which includes biographies about the pair and lists their recent activities, could provoke complaints from the Palace.

One source said: ‘They are going to have real trouble with the use of Sussex. It is a royal title and if there is any hint of commercialism about this it will be shut down. It’s just staggering they cannot see how gauche it is.’

In addition to Sussex.com and SussexRoyal.com, the couple also have websites for Archewell Productions (archewellproductions.com) and Archewell Foundation (archewell.org). The former Archewell.com website now redirects to Sussex.com.

The new homepage for ‘The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ went live yesterday evening. 

It features glowing biographies for both Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, as well as the latest news about the pair.

The Duke is described as a ‘humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate and environmental campaigner’. 

His wife Meghan is hailed as a ‘feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity’.

The Sussexes’ online rebranding comes amid speculation that they may be seeking new production companies to work with. 

Their £18million deal with Spotify recently came to an end, and there have been rumours that streaming giant Netflix may not renew its £80million contract with them.

The website is operated by ‘The Office of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex‘ and is a ‘one-stop shop’ for all their activities. 

It comes ahead of the couple’s trip to Canada for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025’s One Year to Go celebrations.

During the event, which will take place between Wednesday and Friday this week, Prince Harry is expected to make a speech where he will tell how special the country is to him and wife Meghan.

Harry will tell crowds of his fond memories of their time spent on Vancouver Island after leaving their official royal duties in 2019, according to The Telegraph. 

The couple are said to have relished their time there while being free from the presence of the media and pressures of royal life.  

The Duke has previously spoken about how Canada felt like home to him and that ‘we (him and Meghan) could imagine spending the rest of our lives there’.  

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 website, 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.’

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’.

It also says he has ‘dedicated his adult life to advancing causes that he is passionate about and that advance permanent change for people and places’.

The profile states that he founded the Invictus Games Foundation, describing it as a ‘globally celebrated display of resilience, community and athleticism that has won acclaim for its impact in celebrating those that serve’.

Harry is also stated as the ‘founder and/or patron of a number of global charities and organisations’ including Travalyst, Senebale and WellChild, and that he sits on the board of African Parks.

His appointment in 2021 as ‘chief impact officer’ at coaching firm BetterUp is also cited, as well as how he served on the Aspen Institute Commission on Information Disorder.

Referring to the Archewell Foundation, it says he co-founded this alongside Meghan ‘to serve communities in need’, adding: ‘The Duke and Duchess 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 Duke is also listed as living in California ‘with his wife Meghan, and their two children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’.

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’. 

Her biography also includes the line: ‘They are committed to their mission: Show Up, Do Good.’.

It adds: ‘They hold the value that charitable work should not simply be ‘a handout, but rather a hand held’, a phrase Meghan first adopted in supporting UK charity Smart Works, of which she is patron, that supports women to enter the workforce.’

The Archewell Foundation is said to have been set up by the Duke and Duchess to ‘build meaningful initiatives’ and ‘drive long-term change’. 

Archewell Productions was founded in 2020 and is said to be ‘dedicated to illuminating thought-provoking and diverse narratives that underscore our common humanity and celebrate community.’

The biography states that her ‘lifelong advocacy for women and girls remains a constant thread in her humanitarian and business ventures’.

Meghan is also cited as having been ‘named one of the most influential women in the world in rankings including Time Magazine’s Most Influential People, The Financial Times’ 25 Most Influential Women, Variety Power of Women, and British Vogue’s Vogue 25.’

The biography says her ‘advocacy work on resilience, equality, and compassion through action has been recognized – alongside that of her husband, Prince Harry – with the NAACP President’s Award as well as the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award’.

The Duchess is listed as having been ‘born and raised in Southern California’, before attending ‘Los Angeles based all-girls Catholic School, Immaculate Heart, which she continues to support as an alumna, before moving to Chicago to attend Northwestern University’.

It says that while there, she ‘double majored in Theater and International Relations, and went on to intern at the US Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as well as to study abroad in Madrid, Spain’.

The biography adds that after graduation, Meghan ‘turned her focus to the entertainment industry, later securing a lead role on the hit series, ‘Suits’ which she starred in for seven seasons’.

It also states that ‘between filming, Meghan travelled to Rwanda, India, and other countries to support humanitarian missions’ – and she ‘served in key roles such as: UN Women’s Advocate for Women’s Political Participation and Leadership, a World Vision Global Ambassador, and a leading Counsellor to One Young World. Meghan also travelled to support the military community on a USO Tour, visiting six military bases in seven days including Bagram, Afghanistan’.

The profile goes on to state that in 2018, ‘Meghan married Prince Harry, becoming The Duchess of Sussex’.

She is said to have ‘written for a number of publications and created the lifestyle website, ‘The Tig’ – and ‘guest edited British Vogue in July 2019, which was the fastest selling copy in the magazine’s history’.

Meghan is listed as having launched ‘Archetypes’ in 2022, which is described as a ‘record-breaking podcast exploring the labels that hold women back’.

It states that Archetypes ‘debuted at Number 1’ in the US, UK, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, and was the ‘Number 1 podcast’ in 47 countries.

It says that after its first season, Archetypes was awarded The People’s Choice Award in the podcast category, as well as The Gracie Award for Best Podcast.

Meghan is also described as a ‘NY Times Best Selling author, publishing the acclaimed children’s book, ‘The Bench’, and ‘Together: Our Community Kitchen’ a collaborative publication with the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen in the UK, who were displaced after the tragic Grenfell Fire’.

The Duchess is said to be ‘a major advocate for mental health, family care, and gender equity’. The biography also says she ‘hopes to be a cultural catalyst for positive change, reflecting her core belief that representation matters, and that communities can be enhanced through learning, healing, and inspirational support’.

It also says Meghan ‘lives in California with her husband and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’.

Following the announcement of the King’s illness on Monday of last week, Harry flew to London from California where he lives with Meghan and their two children.

The Duke of Sussex took a commercial British Airways flight from Los Angeles arriving at Buckingham Palace at 2.42pm.

He then spent around 45 minutes chatting with his father, which is thought to be their first proper contact in 15 months.

It was their first formal meeting in person since the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022.

Meanwhile, Meghan Markle joined 15 women who have resettled in the US from Afghanistan to cook traditional Afghan food over the weekend.

The Duchess of Sussex created The Welcome Project in 2023 together with the Archewell Foundation, which she set up together with Prince Harry.

The programme is supposed to create ‘a safe haven and inclusive environment for women who have recently resettled in the US from Afghanistan’, according to a press release by the Archewell Foundation.