Despite a significant promise to step back from the royal family and cease using the Sussex Royal title after leaving the firm in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still maintain the Sussex Royal website.
The website, along with their Sussex Royal Instagram account boasting over 9 million followers, remains active. Surprisingly, the "Serving the Monarchy" page on the website has not been updated to acknowledge the passing of Queen Elizabeth in September.
While the site features a statement from Meghan and Harry made in January 2020 outlining their plans to step back as senior royals, there is no mention of King Charles's coronation on their Instagram page.
The Sussex Royal website has sparked commentary from royal watchers, with some expressing amazement that it is still in the public domain despite the queen's death and the agreed-upon commitment not to use Sussex Royal going forward.
Suggestions have been made that, at the very least, the website should reflect the Queen's passing and be updated with information about King Charles. Others have sarcastically tweeted about the website, humorously stating that, according to Sussex Royal, the Queen is still alive. The ownership of Sussex Royal remains anonymous as it is registered with GoDaddy.
The launch of the website reportedly blindsided the late Queen, as revealed in Omid Scobie's book "Finding Freedom." Scobie noted that Meghan and Harry's statement outlining their future roles came before the queen had approved their half-in, half-out model. The revelation of their plans without consulting the queen and the palace caused deep unsettlement within the royal family, known for its privacy.
The couple has faced significant backlash for unfulfilled promises, with a spectacular fall from grace. This includes a Spotify exit amid accusations of grifting leveled by top executives. Mark Bowski, a publicist and media strategist, believes the couple has squandered their career momentum by failing to keep promises and generating negative publicity.
Bowski emphasizes Hollywood's aversion to excessive negativity, cautioning that the Sussexes need to devise a new strategy after their previous approach of attacking the royal family received a negative reception.
