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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reaffirmed links with their royal titles, rebranding their official website as: "The Office of Prince Harry & Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex," despite calls in Britain for the them to be stripped of the honors.
On Monday, the couple's main online hub, previously known as archewell.com, was overhauled and rebranded sussex.com with the site name of "The Office of Prince Harry & Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex."
The update differentiates the couple's main public page from their Archewell Foundation and Archewell Productions organizations, which were founded in 2020 after Harry and Meghan split from the monarchy and moved to the U.S. These outputs retain their names, the route "Arche" of which derives from the Greek word meaning source of action.
The decision to formally use the Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles in such an official capacity is likely to draw criticism in Britain, where the couple's popularity has plummeted in the years since their separation from the royal family.
Following the announcement of their move in 2020, there have been persistent calls from critics—including broadcaster Piers Morgan and former President Donald Trump—for the couple to be stripped of their titles, with accusations they could be used for profit. This latest move shows the couple have no plans of appeasing these critics any time soon.
The decision may, however, prove to be a gamble, as a prominent voice calling for the removal of the titles is Conservative lawmaker Bob Seely, who in December 2023 put forward a bill petitioning for the amendment of the Titles Deprivation Act of 1917, which would "deprive in certain circumstances Princes of their British Dignities and Titles."
In an opinion article written for the MailOnline prior to presenting his bill, which followed the publication of the highly controversial royal biography Endgame by Omid Scobie, Seely wrote of Harry and Meghan: "I believe it is time they dropped their titles—or were made to—and lived by their own talents, if they have any to speak of."
He went on to add: "The sooner the Duke and Duchess become just Mr and Mrs Sussex, the better for us all."
At the time, the royal couple didn't comment on Seely's comments or his bill, which is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Commons on June 14.
Harry and Meghan were given their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles by Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding present in 2018, in accordance with royal tradition. A royal dukedom is the highest title of nobility in the British aristocratic hierarchy, typically deriving from a geographical location. Sussex is a large area in southeastern England.
Queen Elizabeth also gave the couple the titles of Earl and Countess of Dumbarton, and Baron and Baroness of Kilkeel.
Harry has addressed controversy around holding his titles despite no longer being a working member of the royal family on two occasions. Firstly, in his January 2023 memoir, Spare, he revealed that he had offered to renounce his title with Meghan in a private letter to King Charles (then Prince of Wales) when negotiating his split from the monarchy in 2020.
This letter, he claimed, was leaked to the press, complicating the process of their transition.
The prince was then asked why he hadn't given up the titles in an interview with British broadcaster Tom Bradby promoting the memoir.
"Why not renounce your titles as duke and duchess?" Bradby suggested.
To this, Harry bluntly responded: "And what difference would that make?"
The change to the couple's website on February 12 comes as Harry and Meghan prepare to embark on a three day visit to Canada, where they will attend events marking the one-year waypoint to the 2025 Invictus Games, which will be held in Vancouver and Whistler.
A section of the site outlining its background also reaffirms its ties with the charitable Archewell Foundation and the production company, which has released docuseries and podcast projects with Netflix and Spotify.
"The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex is shaping the future through business and philanthropy," it reads.
"This includes: THE ARCHEWELL FOUNDATION, ARCHEWELL PRODUCTIONS, patronages, ventures, and organizations which receive the support of the couple, individually and/or together."
While the change has generated widespread discussion, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Newsweek that it lacked meaningful detail.
"This is an update in name only," he said of the website. "It needed details of the 'exciting' new projects they are reportedly involved in for Netflix to be truly meaningful.
"They are obviously trading on their royal titles. This is also curious timing given that only a week ago Harry was visiting his father who has cancer. The royal family won't respond and I doubt the county of Sussex will care," he said.
"They are entitled to do what they like with their titles and coat of arms, but to do this now for no particular discernible purpose is very strange."
Newsweek approached representatives of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle via email for comment.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more