Meghan and Harry facing 'internal conflict' after controversial rebrand

20 February 2024 , 12:53

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Harry and Meghan recently launched sussex.com - but not without controversy (Image: PA)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's relaunched website and use of their official coat of arms could be telltale signs of an "internal conflict", according to a royal expert.

The couple raised eyebrows last week when they replaced their Archewell website with Sussex.com. A picture of the pair dominates the main web page, overlaid with the text: "The Office of & Meghan, The Duke & Duchess of Sussex".

They also included a notable change in logo - from a calligraphed H&M to their coat of arms, which was designed for their wedding and approved by the late Queen in 2018.

At the time, Kensington Palace said the shield's blue background represented the Pacific Ocean off the California coast, while the two golden rays were symbolic of the sunshine of the Duchess' home state. The three quills, meanwhile, represent "communication and the power of words".

The landing page for sussex.com features the couple's coat of arms

Since the launch of sussex.com, it's also being widely reported that Harry and Meghan are also now using the surname Sussex - as are their children, Archie and Lilibet, who previously went by Mountbatten-Windsor.

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Royal expert Jennie Bond told OK magazine that the "modern move" of changing their names has "neatly" separated them from both their UK and US-based relatives, and signalls a "fresh start" for Meghan.

"It's a further declaration of their independence, and there's nothing wrong with that," she said. "But it still seems to me that there is an internal conflict going on. They want separation from the royal family and yet they want titles for themselves and their children."

Certainly, the website seems a little contradictory. One of the main criticisms being aimed at the pair is that they have used the rebrand to emphasise their royal status - while also failing to make any mention of the royal family.

The couple are believed to have taken Sussex as their family surname (PA)

The biography for Harry, who is fifth in line to the throne, does not make a single reference to the monarchy, nor his connection to it. Instead, it describes him as "a humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate and environmental campaigner".

Further down the biography, Harry speaks of his 'unflinching honesty' in reference to his tell-all memoir . He famously levelled a number of accusations and disparaging remarks against his family in the book, further driving a wedge between the couple and the royals.

Meghan, meanwhile, is simply referred to as the Duchess of Sussex and described, in part, as "feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity". In her profile, the only mention of the royal family reads: "In 2018, Meghan married Prince Harry, becoming the Duchess of Sussex."

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Gemma Strong