Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly been banned from using the Sussex Royal brand by the Queen.
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their decision to split from the royal famil (opens in new tab)y and become ‘financially independent’ last month.
- The pair attempted to copyright the Sussex Royal brand but now it's been reported the Queen has banned them from using it.
- This follows royal news that the Queen receives a lovely present every week at Buckingham Palace (opens in new tab).
It’s been over a month since Harry and Meghan made the surprise announcement that they would be splitting from the royal family.
In a statement, the couple revealed their ambition to become financially independent, but it’s still unclear exactly how they were planning to achieve that.
But it seems they won't be able to use the Sussex Royal brand on their endeavours, as it’s been claimed they have been banned by the Queen from doing so.
The report comes from Mail Online (opens in new tab), who say a source revealed, "In many ways this is inevitable given their decision to step down, but it must surely come as a blow to the couple as they have invested everything into the Sussex Royal brand The Queen would have had little choice, however.
"The Sussexes' original plan – of being half-in, half-out working royals – was never going to work. Obviously, as the Queen has made clear, they are still much-loved members of her family.
"But if they aren't carrying out official duties and are now seeking other commercial opportunities, they simply cannot be allowed to market themselves as royals."
The pair had their first paid engagement earlier this month, as Harry made a speech at a star-studded JP Morgan summit in Miami.
READ MORE: Princess Anne set to make history by taking over Prince Harry’s special role (opens in new tab)
The couple are due to return to the UK next month (opens in new tab) for a Commonwealth service, and are expected to tie up loose ends before their transition period ends.
Despite initial reports that the organisations they’re patrons of had been left with no support, National Theatre’s artistic director Rufus Norris has now said that he expects Meghan – who became patron its patron in 2019 - will continue to work with them.
He told The Telegraph, “There has been no indication at all from her that her engagement with us would be anything other than business as usual.
“She has proven to be a very engaged patron and we look forward to working with her. She has star reach, she understands the nature of what we’re trying to do.”
