Meet Archie and Lilibet Sussex! Prince Harry and Meghan give their children title in bid to ‘unify’ their family as new website and rebrand is launched

Prince Harry and Meghan have adopted the Sussex title as a surname for their children as they ‘unify’ their family, it was reported last night.

Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two, have been known as Archie Sussex and Lilibet Sussex, rather than Mountbatten-Windsor, since King Charles’ coronation last May, a source told The Times.

The revelation comes amid an ongoing row over the Duke and Duchess’ rebranded ‘royal’ website Sussex.com – complete with Meghan’s coat of arms – which critics claim is a breach of their promise to the late Queen when they acrimoniously quit front-line royal duties.

Sources told the Times the relaunch is a bid to unite projects by Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, and both their children under the same overall website.

The use of Sussex is thought be in keeping with the way Harry was known as Captain Wales while in the army.

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

Archewell, the umbrella site for their philanthropic and commercial work, combines the Greek word ‘Arche’ and ‘well’ and is named after the couple’s eldest son.

Prince Harry has repeatedly complained about his childhood and being treated as a ‘spare to the heir’, his brother, Prince William, including in his controversial memoir, Spare.

The Sussexes are said to be determined not to replicate Harry’s apparent experiences in their upbringing of Lilibet.

A source told The Times: ‘The reality behind the new site is very simple — it’s a hub for the work the Sussexes do and it reflects the fact the family have, since the King’s coronation, the same surname for the first time. That’s a big deal for any family. It represents their unification and it’s a proud moment.’

A representative for the Duke and Duchess was contacted for comment.

But a source close to the couple previously defended the use of their royal titles in their new websites, saying: ‘Prince Harry and Meghan are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. That is a fact. It is their surname and family name.’

Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (pictured) with their son Archie and daughter Lilibet

On Monday, the Archewell website – the umbrella site for their philanthropic and commercial work – was replaced with ‘sussex.com’ and a new homepage entitled ‘The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’.

Yesterday a glowing testimonial by Meghan about the Canadian agency behind their rebrand emerged.

In a statement on Article, the agency that built Meghan’s new defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig, along with the couple’s Archewell website and now Sussex.com, the Duchess said: ‘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.’

Meghan lived in Toronto during her time filming the TV legal drama, Suits, in which she appeared for seven series from 2011. Harry and Meghan also made their first public outing as a couple at the Invictus Games in Toronto in 2017.

Prince Harry and Meghan after a boat trip during the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023

They also have close ties to Canada, having previously stayed at the luxury Mille Fleurs mansion on Vancouver Island after quitting royal life before moving to California as the Covid pandemic hit.

The furore over the website was followed by her releasing a new photograph of herself wearing Princess Diana’s Cartier watch as she unveiled a new podcast deal with Lemonada Media.

The portrait photo was taken by the couple’s friend Misan Harriman and features Meghan wearing her late mother-in-law’s gold time-piece worth £17,800, alongside a £5,000 Cartier Love bracelet – a reported gift from Harry in the early days of their relationship.

The Sussexes flew to Canada yesterday on a private jet to promote next year’s Invictus Games.

They landed in Vancouver for three days of events linked to the competition founded by the Prince in 2014 to help injured veterans and serving military personnel.

A winter edition of the Invictus Games kicks off next February in Whistler and Vancouver – involving 500-plus competitors from 20 nations – with the addition of wheelchair curling, alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and Skeleton.

The couple were due to spend two days meeting competitors in Whistler at a training camp before Harry is due to speak in Vancouver tomorrow (Fri).

Last week, Harry made a flying visit to London to see his father following his cancer diagnosis, holding a 45-minute meeting with the King at Clarence House before flying home to LA 26 hours later.