The Real Reason Why Queen Elizabeth "Hit Back" at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Expert Claims
It all comes down to a name.
Being a member of the Royal Family comes with a lot of rules. There is a strict dress code they must abide by, they can't wear clothing gifted to them, two heirs cannot fly together, they aren't allowed to express their political beliefs, tiaras can only be worn by married women, and the list goes on and on. There are also a lot of rules when it comes to how their names may be used and profiting from their status as members of the monarchy.
It is no secret that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had multiple issues with the rules of royal life, thus one of the reasons they opted to leave the United Kingdom and head to America to live as civilians. However, according to a new report, even prior to their move the couple did something that upset the late Queen Elizabeth so much that she was forced to "hit back" at one of her beloved grandchildren.
Robert Lacey claims in his book Battle of Brothers that the couple attempted to misuse their "Sussex Royal" trademark in hopes of profiting from it, which upset Queen Elizabeth very much. Specifically, they were planning to sell branded merchandise with the logo.
Lacey explains that in 2019, Harry and Meghan filed a trademark with UK's Intellectual Property Office, showing they planned on selling over 100 items, including clothing, stationery, photographs, and possibly a newspaper or magazine. This was reportedly done without the Queen's approval.
Per Lacey, Prince Harry had "totally failed to consult the Queen" about something that directly impacted his "royal work and image." While the Queen had "always had a soft spot for Harry" and was "delighted by the arrival of Meghan," the couple had found an issue on which the monarch "would not compromise" and forced her to "finally hit back" at them.
Lacey states that their plans "trespassed dangerously" on her authority. The couple were forced to pull their trademark the following year. In their Spring Transition announcement, they stated they would not use "Sussex Royal" while they planned on forming a new non-profit. "It has been therefore agreed that their non-profit organisation will not utilise the name 'Sussex Royal' or any other iteration of 'Royal," they said.
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Eventually, they set up Archewell and branched into multiple industries. Now in addition to being a foundation, they also have Archewell Audio, responsible for Meghan's Archetypes podcast on Spotify, and Archewell Production, representing their partnership with Netflix.
