Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's association with the new site has sparked controversy.
Today, it was criticized as being highly unusual and divergent from the directives given by the late Queen Elizabeth II and senior officials in February 2020. These directives urged Harry and Meghan to abandon their Sussex Royal label after stepping back from their royal duties. Despite this, the website persists even four years later, albeit with a disclaimer clarifying its purpose to showcase the activities of Harry and Meghan before their relocation to the US.
Now, the couple's flashy redirects users back to website. With the royal family's withdrawal and their attempts thwarted, the persistence of these links raises eyebrows among various observers.
Contrary to expectations, Sussex Royal is not owned by the couple; rather, it remains the copyrighted property of the crown. Commentators, like Richard Fitzwilliams, have expressed confusion over this continued usage, emphasizing the illogical nature of including a name they cannot legally use. Culture expert Nick Eid added that such connections blur the line between past and present, potentially causing confusion among the audience.
However, he suggested that it serves the purpose of reminding people of Harry and Meghan's past royal work. Eid humorously noted that some web traffic might come from tourists searching for the best fish and chips in Sussex, inadvertently stumbling upon the Duke and Duchess's online presence.
The new website fails to mention serving the monarchy, a stark contrast to the prominence of the phrase on Sussex Royal's launch in 2020. Furthermore, it's been revealed that Meghan's biography on Sussex Doom is significantly longer than Harry's, indicating a potential disparity in their online representation.
Concerns about the legitimacy of sussex.edu have also surfaced, with sources alleging it to be a scam. These sources caution against visiting the site, warning of potential tracking and monitoring of users' IP addresses and associated information. Such data mining practices, if true, could raise legal and ethical concerns regarding privacy violations.
In a recent interview, Lady C asserted that Harry and Meghan have no legal claim over the name Sussex, nor are they entitled to use the word Royal. She emphasized that they cannot drive traffic to sussex.edu using Sussex Royal, as it goes against legal regulations. Thus, the controversy surrounding the couple's online presence continues to escalate, fueled by questions of propriety and legality.
