Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are still working out the kinks of their split from the royal family and that may include yet another title change. Although Harry will retain his title of prince and the couple will continue being the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, they may no longer be able to attach the word ‘royal’ to their brand.In January, Harry and Meghan made the surprising announcement that they were leaving the U.K. and their roles as fulltime working members of the royal family in order to escape the constant media attention, and increasingly racially-tinged coverage directed at the Duchess. The Queen
released a statement supporting the couple, but Buckingham Palace noted that things were still in transition and many matters had yet to be discussed.Some of those matters have already come to light, of course. Although Harry and Meghan hoped to continue working for the royal family in some capacity, the monarchy decided that was not possible. Harry and Meghan agreed to stop using the titles of His or Her Royal Highness and cut off the state funding they were previously receiving. The couple also agreed to pay back the funds used to renovate their residence at Frogmore Cottage.[video_embed id='-1']Meghan Markle shares her secret to being happy[/video_embed]In anticipation of their new ventures, Harry and Meghan attempted to trademark Sussex Royal, filing an application in the U.K. to cover printed material, as well as clothing, educational and social care services, and charitable fundraising. Now it looks as though the couple may not be able to use the word "royal."
Cue Lorde.The Queen’s decision to prevent the couple from using the word royal and their titles was hinted at in her statement on
January 18, when she referred to her grandson simply as "Harry.' Now an aide close to the Queen says that the monarchy will likely not allow for the trademark to pass. Thomas Woodcock, Garter King of Arms, told
The Times of London via CNN, "I don't think it's satisfactory. One cannot be two things at once. You either are [royal] or you're not.” Woodcock added, "It is such unusual times that it is a matter of waiting and seeing how things develop.”Prior to the split, Harry’s official title was His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel. Following their 2018 marriage, Meghan became Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex. The HRH titles are given only to senior members of the royal family and will no longer be used for Harry and Meghan starting this spring. Instead, the couple will be known simply as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Harry’s mother Diana lost her HRH status after her divorce from Prince Charles, becoming Diana, Princess of Wales. Harry’s aunt, Sarah Ferguson, also had her HRH removed following her divorce from the Queen’s son, Prince Andrew, becoming Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.As for Harry and Meghan, the pair will remain royals, they will be preventing from using their HRH titles and possibly the word "royal" for their branding. They will likely still be invited to royal events and Harry and baby Archie’s place in the family’s hierarchy remains unchanged.[video_embed id='1900935']RELATED: Inside Meghan Markle's British Vogue issue[/video_embed]
