Harry and Meghan’s royal website is STILL online despite promises not to use ‘Sussex Royal’ after Megxit – including a page titled ‘Serving the Monarchy’ which hasn’t been updated since the Queen died
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's 'Sussex Royal' website still hasn't been taken down, despite a pledge not to use the self-named label in 2020 – and it has not been updated to mark the Queen's death, MailOnline can today reveal.
The Sussexes agreed not to use the title 'Sussex Royal' 'in any area' after spring 2020 thereafter stepped down as senior royals.
But despite this pledge to rebrand, sussexroyal.com remains live almost three years after Megxit, as does their Sussex Royal Instagram account with 9 million followers.
The married couple tens of thousands of euros spent on the design of the websiteand a section promising to 'serve the monarchy' when 'called upon' has not been updated to reflect the death of Queen Elizabeth II – or Harry's father becoming King Charles III.
A royal observer who discovered the error told MailOnline today: 'I'm amazed that their Sussex Royal website is still in the public domain. The Queen has died and the Sussexes agreed not to use Sussex Royal again'.
Another said: 'It should at least reflect the Queen's death and be updated with King Charles III'. A third sarcastically tweeted: 'According to the Sussex Royal website, our late Queen is still alive.'
The Sussexes agreed not to use their 'Sussex Royal' brand after Megxit, but sussexroyal.com will remain online
The outdated section of the site that has not been updated to reflect the Queen's death
It is not clear who operates or owns the Sussex Royal website as it has been kept anonymous by GoDaddy in the US. A spokesperson for the Sussexes did not respond to MailOnline's requests for comment.
In the section where Meghan and Harry vow to “serve the Monarchy” as they seek “financial independence” abroad, it reads: “Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II is sovereign and was crowned Monarch in 1953. Her Majesty serves as a symbol of unity and national pride'. And the couple vowed to “continue to raise the flag for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as requested.”
As well as not reflecting the Queen's death last September, there is also no mention of it the accession to the throne of Harry's father, King Charles III.
The Sussexes' Instagram page, @sussexroyal, amassed 11.2 million followers. Three years later it is still online, but has lost 2 million followers.
The launch of the Sussex Royal website is said to have 'hurt' the Queen and upset Palace officials when it appeared in 2020.
The couple also sought to register Sussex Royal as a global trademark for a range of items and activities, including clothing, stationery, books and teaching materials.
But after discussions with the Queen, the couple accepted that, as part of their new working arrangements, they will not be able to use the Sussex Royal name as they had hoped.
Omid Scobie's biography of Harry and Meghan, Finding Freedom, says Her Majesty was “blindsided” by the launch of the SussexRoyal website that accompanied their Megxit announcement in January 2020.
The site unilaterally mapped out their future royal roles without her approval.
It was on sussexroyal.com where the couple worked out details for a 'half-in-half-out model' that wasn't rubber-stamped by the Queen.
It derailed the carefully choreographed departure announcement planned by Buckingham Palace, which was blindsided by the website.
A senior member of the household said: 'The element of surprise, the blinding of the Queen, was rightly very disturbing to the other directors who are all very aware of this.
'The family are very private and putting this into the public domain when they were told not to did so hurt the Queen.
'It explained in a statement what the Sussexes wanted, without first consulting Her Majesty – and she is the head of the institution.'
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex at the 2023 Invictus Games
Harry and Meghan spent tens of thousands of pounds on a new Sussex Royal website, sussexroyal.com, to complement their popular Instagram feed. It was later made clear that they would need a 're-branding', but it remains live today
Her Majesty's private secretary, Edward Young, was reportedly incandescent that the palace had been kept in the dark about Harry and Meghan's intentions.
Finding Freedom, which chronicled the behind-the-scenes wrangling that led to the couple's dramatic departure, claims Harry and Meghan were forced to release their statement due to leaked stories about their desire to settle in Canada full-time.
Meghan and Harry will not be coming to Britain for Christmas with the royals this year.
The Duchess of Edinburgh is said to be 'furious' over claims she failed to support Meghan during her time as a working royal, sources claim.
Omid Scobie's Endgame, published last month, claims Sophie, 58, did little to help the Duchess of Sussex, 42, as she struggled to adapt to life in The Firm.
Elsewhere in the book, Scobie labels both Sophie and Prince Edward “casually bigoted,” referring to an interview they conducted after Meghan claimed members of the royal family had raised “concerns” about the color of Prince Archie's skin before he was born.
After the fallout from the book rocked the British royal family, friends close to the Duchess have disputed many of Scobie's claims in the book and have gone on the defensive.
They said The sun the opposite of Scobie's claims is true, and that Sophie in fact went out of her way to make Meghan feel included and welcome in The Firm.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, is said to be 'furious' over claims in Omid Scobie's Endgame that she did not support Meghan Markle within the royal family
Friends close to the Duchess of Edinburgh insisted that Sophie invited Meghan and Harry for a cup of tea early in their relationship to try to bond with her.
An insider described as a 'senior royal source' told the newspaper: 'It was just the two of them and they talked for hours. Meghan had so many questions and Sophie, who knows what it's like to navigate the early days of transitioning from a commoner to a royal, freely offered her advice.”
The source added that Sophie found Meghan “captivating” and told her she could call at any time.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were named one of the biggest Tinsel Town losers of the year by industry bible The Hollywood Reporter last week.
The magazine published its 2023 review celebrating those who triumphed and noting those who failed to achieve their goals.
Amid the 11 chosen It was a tough time for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who were mocked for their “whiny Netflix documentary, whiny biography (Spare – even the title is a pouty complaint) and inert podcast.”
Meghan's podcast, Archetypes, was removed by Spotify in June after just one season and its head of podcast innovation and monetization, Bill Simmons, branded the couple “scammers” after their multi-year $20 million (£15.9 million) deal ) had ended.
Their treatment by The Hollywood Reporter was far from lavish, with the publication saying the couple had “escaped a life of ceremonial public service to cash in on their celebrity status in the United States” — but failed to patch things up to get going.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, pictured Oct. 10 in New York City, have been named one of Hollywood's Biggest Losers of 2023
Meghan Markle's podcast was removed by Spotify after just one season
“The Harry and Meghan brand grew into an apparent bubble just begging to be popped – and South Park was the pin,” the authors said.
In March, South Park mocked the couple with an episode titled “World-Wide Privacy Tour,” which blasted the couple for claiming they found the media interference too intense and subsequently sought the spotlight.
The magazine concluded: 'Yet all the scorn and ridicule outweighs having to attend more than 200 official royal family engagements a year, which sounds hellish.'