ROYAL DRAMA
NEWS
HARRYAND MEGHANWILL STILLMAKE MILLIONS
Harry and Meghan will formally separate from the royals at the end of next month – but their ‘Sussex Royal’ brand is hit by trouble from the Palace
Meghan and Harry’s web site
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ESCAPE
The news was met with a mixed response from fans on social media. One wrote, “We’ll miss them – a loss to the royals”, while another wrote, “Should have given more thought before they registered the brand. Too busy trying to find an escape from their royal duties.” Another Talks with the Queen are ongoing
❛THE PAIR ARE ENJOYING THEIR QUIET NEW LIFE AND ARE MUCH HAPPIER❜ The couple’s logo
posted, “Nobody should be allowed to commercialise ‘Royal’. They chose to leave royal life. They chose to defy the Queen.” They had previously been gearing up to launch a charitable entity named “Sussex Royal, The Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex” and had even trademarked their “Sussex Royal” brand last year to be used on a range of merchandise. However, PR experts have predicted that, even if they do lose their royal association and rebrand their charity, the pair are set to make millions from their image and fame alone. Last week, it was also revealed that Harry and Meghan’s official departure from royal life – or Megxit, as it’s been dubbed – will start on 31 March. The pair will no longer carry out royal duties from then on, with the arrangement to be reviewed in a year’s time. Before they officially step back,
Harry and Meghan will attend six events on behalf of the royals, including the Commonwealth Day Service – which Harry is an ambassador of. HAPPIER
The news comes after it emerged 15 of the couple’s former staff had been sacked, with confirmation following that they will no longer hold an office at Buckingham Palace from 1 April. Harry, Meghan, and their nine-month-old son Archie relocated to Canada after their bombshell announcement in January, and are now reportedly living in a £11m mansion on Vancouver Island. Reports last week also claimed the pair are currently eyeing up a £5.4m Malibu home to live in when they visit California. They’ve been open about their struggle in the media spotlight since going public with their romance. In their documentary, An African Journey, last
September, Meghan said, “Not many people have asked if I’m okay, but it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes. It’s hard.” A month later, Harry said in a statement that he couldn’t be “a silent witness to [Meghan’s] private suffering.” Since moving abroad, the couple have been pictured looking relaxed and happy, with Harry being snapped grinning while buying groceries in Canada last week. Friends of Meghan told People magazine that the pair are “enjoying their quiet new life” and are “much happier and less stressed”. It also emerged that the pair have been working towards financial independence too, with Harry being paid for an appearance at a JP Morgan event in Miami earlier this month, and Meghan holding meetings with professors at Stanford University in California over the direction of their new charity. By Lily Smith CLOSERONLINE.CO.UK
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PHOTOS: GETTY
hey caused shockwaves when they announced they were “stepping down” from royal duties last month, before moving to Canada to start building a new life there with their “Sussex Royal” brand. But the controversy around their decision continued last week after it was reported that the Queen and her advisers were planning to refuse permission for the couple to use the word “Royal” in their new venture.
