METRO
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have changed their children’s surnames to help ‘unify’ their family after launching a major rebrand.
Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two, have been known as Archie Sussex and Lilibet Sussex since the King’s coronation in May.
This has been used instead of the family’s surname Mountbatten-Windsor.
It comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex launched a new website last night that uses their official Royal titles.
A source told The Times: ‘The reality behind the new site is very simple – it’s a hub for the work the Sussexes do and it reflects the fact the family have, since the King’s coronation, the same surname for the first time.
‘That’s a big deal for any family. It represents their unification and it’s a proud moment.’
The California-based couple have replaced their old Archewell website with Sussex.com that includes their biographies and lists their recent activities.
After endorsing Archewell – their business launched in 2020 – for the last two years they seem to have ditched the brand to reconnect with supporters of the Royal Family.
There was no mention about the couple stepped down as senior royals in January 2020 and their ongoing feud with members of the Royal Family.
This has led to much speculation that they are looking to reunite with the family amid the King’s ill health.
The move, which comes at a ‘sensitive’ time for the Royal Family, has baffled many, including Royal experts.
Expert Duncan Larcombe told Metro the reaction is ‘understandable’, the rebrand plans have most likely been in the works for ‘sometime now’.
He explained: ‘Using the royal crest is quite a provocative move.
‘When Harry and Meghan told the late Queen they were heading off and then leaving Britain for good, they were told in no uncertain terms that the titles of HRH would go, and they weren’t to effectively cash in on royal status.