Meghan and Harry 'may have deliberately used wrong coat of arms' in rebrand

14 February 2024 , 12:46

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Speculation over Meghan and Harry's website is growing (Image: Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

A new website launched by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has come under heavy scrutiny, particularly for its use of the Duchess' coat of arms - which she was given when she got married to Harry back in 2018. Normally, a coat of arms is created for the bride's family when someone is marrying into the Royal Family, but because Meghan is American, a different protocol was followed instead - similar to the Duchess of Gloucester, who is Danish-born.

Rather than a coat of arms being given to her father for the entire Markle family, one was created just for Meghan and it featured symbols and imagery that also related to Harry, not just Meghan herself. The couple also have a conjugal coat of arms, which features two shields, so some commentators were surprised that the Sussexes chose to display Meghan's personal coat of arms rather than their joint one.

Sources speaking to the Daily Mail have speculated that there could be a reason that the couple decided to display Meghan's personal coat of arms, rather than their joint one. "Some theorised that having the prince's coat of arms would be too provocative 'even for them'. Others wondered whether it was because 'ultimately this is a re-branding for Meghan,'" the Mail reports.

When the couple stepped back as working royals in 2020, it was agreed that they would no longer use the word 'royal' in their braining, which meant they had to scrap their sussexroyal.com website and Sussex Royal social media accounts. Harry and Meghan have stuck to this, but they did include a link back to their old home page on their new website, which a source claimed to the newspaper was a "provocative" choice.

Equally, a source said to the Mail: "They just can't quite bring themselves to drop all the trappings that come courtesy of the institution they spend their whole time moaning about."

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The coat of arms that the couple used for their website features symbols relating to Meghan's and Harry's life. On Meghan's side of the shield, these include a blue background that represents the Pacific Ocean and golden rays that nod to the California sunshine that she grew up in. It also features a songbird supporter and three quills that represent the power of communication, as well as Golden Poppies below - which are the state flower of California, alongside Wintersweet, which is said to grow in Kensington Palace Gardens, where Harry grew up and the couple first lived together.

Coat of Arms for Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex

On Harry's side of the shield, there is a lion supporting the shield four quadrants represent Scotland, England, and Ireland and feature a white horizontal label with three red escallops that symbolises his maternal side of the family.

The couple's joint coat of arms features two shields, with these symbols separated onto each, and instead of the songbird as the right-hand supporter, there is a unicorn.

Emma Mackenzie