Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Slammed for Using Royal Titles to Rebrand Their Website
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had a rough 2023 after being branded as a "Hollywood flop," and now they're leaning on their old royal lives to rebrand themselves.
In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex launched Archewell to focus on nonprofit work and their respective careers in Hollywood, but they've since scrapped the website and relaunched under Sussex.com.
“The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex is shaping the future through business and philanthropy," the new platform reads. “This includes: The Archewell Foundation, Archewell Productions, patronages, ventures, and organizations which receive the support of the couple, individually and/or together.”
Harry and Meghan's biographies painted the pair as people focused on making a difference in the world.
"Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex is a humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate, and environmental campaigner," the blurb states. "He has dedicated his adult life to advancing causes that he is passionate about and that advance permanent change for people and places."
Although Meghan was a working actress before marrying Harry, the site highlights the Suits star's political beliefs and how she balanced being on a show and working with the U.N.
"Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex is a feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity. Her lifelong advocacy for women and girls remains a constant thread in her humanitarian and business ventures," Meghan's intro states. "Meghan turned her focus to the entertainment industry, later securing a lead role on the hit series, Suits which she starred in for seven seasons. Between filming, Meghan traveled to Rwanda, India, and other countries to support humanitarian missions."
Sussex.com went live on Monday, February 12, and Twitter users were immediately irritated by the news.
“Harry and Meghan are *still* branding themselves as ‘the Sussexes,'” one royalist tweeted. “They abandoned their duty to this country, insulted our people and history, mocked our traditions & undermined our monarchy. The brass to keep parasitizing off this title!”
“Perfect summary of these two grasping title clingons!” a second person responded.
“Strip the grifters of their titles, it’s long overdue,” another added.
Aside from the name of the domain, the pair also included their royal crest in their branding.
“The registration of http://Sussex.com is a new low even for our world-class grifters," someone noted. "When all else fails, let’s just go back to merching our Royal links. The Royal Family must be aghast at this crass commercialization of their millennium-old monarchy."
While many critics were outraged, fans were excited to see Meghan celebrate her personal accomplishments.
"Meghan outlines all the work she’s done throughout her life. I’m so proud of her for doing this," the Meghan lover penned. "She’s taking control of her life. She doesn’t owe anything to anyone and she wants you to know that yes, her children are in fact a prince and princess."