Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Scrap Sussex Royal in New Break With Palace

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have officially closed down Sussex Royal in a fresh symbolic move away from Palace life.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were told they could not use the word "royal" in their branding by Queen Elizabeth II as they negotiated their split from the institution of monarchy.

Now they have finally, officially submitted the paperwork to dissolve the charity and its linked company in the U.K in a symbolic commitment to their decision to quit as senior, working royals.

The main project tied to the organisation was Travalyst, their eco tourism scheme, which has now been set up independently to help tourism survive the pandemic.

The timing comes in the same week Meghan turned her guns on Kensington Palace in her latest court filing in her legal battle against U.K. tabloid the Mail on Sunday.

She revealed she had felt "unprotected" by the Royal Family communications team and prevented from defending herself.

A source told Newsweek: "Following previous announcements that The Duke and Duchess will not be using the name 'Sussex Royal' and will not continue with a foundation in its name, paperwork has been filed with Companies House and the Charity Commission to formally close the charity down.

"This will appear on the online public record in the coming days. The charity formally enters a period of 'solvent liquidation'."

They are undergoing a one year review period of their new arrangement outside the royal family, meaning they could in theory return to royal life.

However, the formal closure of Sussex Royal underscores their commitment to their new lives in California.

Travalyst launched in September, partnering with Booking.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor and Visa to create a drive to make tourism environmentally friendly and sustainable.

The duke and duchess will now turn their efforts to using the venture to help travel relaunch amid the coronavirus pandemic and save tourism.

The source said: "Travalyst is now operating as an independent non-profit based in the UK, and all assets from Sussex Royal will transfer over.

"The travel and tourism sector has been one of the hardest hit by the Covid pandemic, with communities and peoples livelihoods heavily impacted around the world.

"The Travalyst partnership is committed to playing an active role in helping communities that rely on tourism rebuild and recover in ways that support their long-term sustainability and resilience.

"We will have more to announce on this in the coming weeks and months."

At the time, the prince said the scheme was inspired by a seven-year-old boy he met on a tour of the Caribbean who told him: "Because of your country, my country's coral reef is dying."

It's focus is on protecting wildlife, preserving the environment and ensuring communities around the world thrive but while also growing tourism.

At the time of the launch, the Guardian quoted the duke saying: "We cannot dismiss the idea of doing something just because we cannot do everything.

"We can all do better, and while no one is perfect, we all have a responsibility for our own individual impact. The question is what we do to balance it out."

Newsweek's source said: "During this period all Trustees will step down from their roles, except for The Duke of Sussex who will formally remain as a Director and Trustee until the liquidation process is complete.

"The Duke and Duchess remain incredibly grateful for the support and guidance the Trustees have given during this period.

"During its 12-months, the sole programme in operation and development at the charity has been the sustainable travel and tourism initiative, Travalyst."