The Duke and Duchess of Sussex: Transition & Future

[acdc1]

Understandable decision- it was their decision to walk away from their royal duties and as working members of the royal family, so they shouldn't be allowed to brand themselves using "royal" in the name.

I do agree that whatever they brand themselves as, the same people and groups will want to work with them, and everyone knows who they are, so it shouldn't affect them too much in the long term.

[poppy7]

I think they will just tkae everything. Windsor is ruthless, it needs to be to survive. But again this is a business. I couldn't keep the company car when I hand in my notice.

Which begs the question of what are they going to do moving forward. I think really they should shut down that silly website and get rid of instagram and take some time to realign. Respond don't react. They are just working to replace a life at the moment but that is inevitably anxiety driven I think.

[ACO]

Originally Posted by Betsypaige

The "fine details" are still being worked out, so presumably that's why discussions are still continuing. They should have dropped it in the first place, but.....oh well, as long as it's dropped now.

Not sure what details are to be worked out. It’s either they use it or they don’t. Pretty straightforward actually. I do wonder if they might completely remove their titles as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone agreed to do a clean break next month. I bet all this was part of the summit last month.

[Somebody]

I am surprised it took them this long to decide that 'Sussex Royal' was not an option - that should have been clear from the start... If they cannot use their 'HRH', it would be very inconsistent to allow them to still use 'Sussex Royal' as that is directly related to their HRH.

If it were Harry and Meghan negotiating trying to ensure they could continue using their royal brand, it would again show them to be very unrealistic in their expectations and unprepared for how things evolved. I wonder whether they were really so completely out of touch with reality or that their website with unrealistic demands and all that happened since were part of a negotiation tactic in the hopes of forcing the queen's hand/getting as much out of it as possible.

Any thoughts on the revised name of the Foundation? 'The Sussex Foundation' or should we expect something more elaborate? Sussex Ducal doesn't really have the same bite as Sussex Royal...

[Erin9]

Originally Posted by Somebody

I am surprised it took them this long to decide that 'Sussex Royal' was not an option - that should have been clear from the start, so who was fighting that and why? If they cannot use their 'HRH', it would be very inconsistent to allow them to still use 'Sussex Royal' as that is directly related to their HRH.

Yeah. I don’t get why it took so long to decide this. Seems obviously inappropriate.

It sounds like Harry and Meghan were fighting it. I understand why they wanted it- if for no other reason, it’s one more thing they have to backtrack on. It’s embarrassing really imo.

That said- people know who they are regardless. I think it sounds nice to get to say royal, but I doubt losing it hurts much.

Originally Posted by ACO

I do wonder if they might completely remove their titles as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone agreed to do a clean break next month. I bet all this was part of the summit last month.

Maybe. But I thought that was made pretty clear. They can’t use HRH since they’re not working members, but they’re still members of the house so they retain it. It really comes across to me as good PR all around.

No one is stripped of anything they’ve had since birth. No one is the “mean” person doing the stripping.

[ACO]

To be fair we don’t know all this wasn’t already hashed out last month. The media doing what they do but we haven’t learned anything more than what we already did — it would be complicated to keep.

I’m sure next month once they are officially done we will be a formal announcement but the papers just trying to jump the gun despite no real news. They say as much themselves. It was inevitable.

And now we have another exclusive tonight saying they invited to Davos. It just feels like the typical paper filler.

[Betsypaige]

Originally Posted by ACO

Not sure what details are to be worked out. It’s either they use it or they don’t. Pretty straightforward actually. I do wonder if they might completely remove their titles as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone agreed to do a clean break next month. I bet all this was part of the summit last month.

Hmm, I don’t see them going that far, especially if the Queen didn’t need them to do that. They can keep HRH in their back pocket just in case...

[Madame Verseau]

It sounds like all parties want to be out of each others' hair. Let them settle things let the Sussexes do their final rounds in March and call it a day. There's no need to bring Archie.

[QueenMathilde]

I think Harry's been to Davos before.

[Betsypaige]

Originally Posted by Erin9

Yeah. I don’t get why it took so long to decide this. Seems obviously inappropriate.

It sounds like Harry and Meghan were fighting it. I understand why they wanted it- if for no other reason, it’s one more thing they have to backtrack on. It’s embarrassing really imo.

That said- people know who they are regardless. I think it sounds nice to get to say royal, but I doubt losing it hurts much.

I think there must be other things going on besides just the removal of “Royal”, which we’ll see soon enough. I think it’s possible, no, probable that they were fighting it, but the Queen could just have put her foot down. Maybe she wanted to give it a chance to see if Sussex Royal could work, but decided that what H and M were doing with the website - their activities- we we completely incompatible with the term “Royal”

[Alisa]

It makes sense. If they are not working members of the ROYAL family they don't need to be using ROYAL in anything whether it be their foundation or their titles.

It can simply be The Sussex Foundation. No big deal!

I would even take it a step further and take away their titles as a Duke and Duchess is still associated with royalty and in my opinion titles should not be commercialized.

[ACO]

Originally Posted by Betsypaige

Hmm, I don’t see them going that far, especially if the Queen didn’t need them to do that. They can keep HRH in their back pocket just in case...

I think it would be wise for all to just "go that far" because honestly a clean break is likely the best scenario. Once they conclude things next month it is really no point in their titles. He will always be Prince Harry. They don't need to be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Originally Posted by Madame Verseau

It sounds like all parties want to be out of each others' hair. Let them settle things let the Sussexes do their final rounds in March and call it a day. There's no need to bring Archie.

If the visit is as short as some are claiming then they might leave him in Canada again. Meghan might not even show up herself. Harry mainly just coming to do his final Military engagement before passing it to Anne. We shall see.

[QueenMathilde]

We'll see but I don't think Meghan is going back to the UK. I think she would have gone back for the "summit" if she were going back.

[Eskimo]

Originally Posted by Erin9

Yeah. I don’t get why it took so long to decide this. Seems obviously inappropriate.

It sounds like Harry and Meghan were fighting it. I understand why they wanted it- if for no other reason, it’s one more thing they have to backtrack on. It’s embarrassing really imo.

That said- people know who they are regardless. I think it sounds nice to get to say royal, but I doubt losing it hurts much.

I disagree. It will hurt a lot. That is why they were fighting it.

If they want a seat at the table of the international jet-set they need that connection. It is a very quid pro quo relationship at that level. What can Harry and Meghan do for anyone?

Andrew was successful in making money off his connections because people knew that he could introduce them to the right people and wanted that introduction. Everyone knows that Harry and Meghan are on the outs with the RF and cannot realistically make any introductions to anyone significant--so what do they really have to offer the international jet-set? Just merely hanging out with Diana's son and his wife loses cache very fast.

[Gawin]

Originally Posted by Eskimo

I disagree. It will hurt a lot. That is why they were fighting it.

While I think the Sussexes should definitely lose the trademark I should point out we don't know (1) if a decision has actually been made and (2) whether or not the Sussexes are fighting it.

The DM is simply guessing at the most likely scenario and presenting it as a done deal as well as an exclusive on its part.

[Tatiana Maria]

The legal obligation to obtain the approval of the Secretary of State in order to use the word Royal in the name of a company is interesting. I wonder if the Secretary of State automatically gives approval when the applicant is a member of the Royal Family?

Originally Posted by Alisa

I would even take it a step further and take away their titles as a Duke and Duchess is still associated with royalty and in my opinion titles should not be commercialized.

Originally Posted by ACO

I think it would be wise for all to just "go that far" because honestly a clean break is likely the best scenario. Once they conclude things next month it is really no point in their titles. He will always be Prince Harry. They don't need to be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

In the United Kingdom, and therefore in Canada and the United States, the title of Prince is more closely associated with royalty than the title of Duke. Nonroyal dukes who are no relation to the British Royal Family are abundant in the British peerage, but the British title of Prince is given only to members of the British Royal Family.

[ACO]

Director of Royal National Theatre dismissed the reports claiming he and his staff were fuming. Says it’s business as usual with Meghan as she remains their patron. So again goes to show how misleading reports can be. He spoke to the Telegraph.

[Curryong]

Thank you ACO...The National Theatre people are obviously happy to have Meghan as their patron.

[O-H Anglophile]

Originally Posted by ACO

I think it would be wise for all to just "go that far" because honestly a clean break is likely the best scenario. Once they conclude things next month it is really no point in their titles. He will always be Prince Harry. They don't need to be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.



If the visit is as short as some are claiming then they might leave him in Canada again. Meghan might not even show up herself. Harry mainly just coming to do his final Military engagement before passing it to Anne. We shall see.

They can choose to not use their Duke/Duchess titles but the only way to remove them is by Parliament. The window for Harry to disclaim his peerage was before his first wedding anniversary.

They are expected to attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9th.

[ACO]

Originally Posted by O-H Anglophile

They can choose to not use their Duke/Duchess titles but the only way to remove them is by Parliament. The window for Harry to disclaim his peerage was before his first wedding anniversary.

They are expected to attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9th.

I don't think the window is ever closed. They can very well bring it up and go through the process though I understand why the family wouldn't want to go through all that. But it would be interesting if like their HRH they just didn't use the titles at all. I think it would please many.

Let's see if Meghan attends. I expect Harry though.