Royal experts warn against Harry and Meghan using trademarked ‘Sussex royal’ amid claims big move to Canada could be unlawful

A royal expert has criticised Harry and Meghan’s decision to trademark ‘Sussex Royal’ in their bid to become financially independent from the Crown. 

After the couple made the shocking announcement that they were planning to take a step back from the Royal Family last week it was revealed that they had submitted an application to trademark the ‘Sussex Royal’ name back in June of last year. The application was published on the Intellectual Property Office’s website in December and also applies to their charitable organisation ‘The Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’. 

Royal expert Diptyarsa Janardana believes the couple should be very wary against using these terms due to their affiliation with the Crown.

“It would be so inappropriate if they still used ‘Sussex Royal’ or any royal titles, considering the titles are still on behalf of the Crown,” he said.

Mr Janardana pointed to Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice as examples of royals who have secured careers without making use of their royal status. He said: “Even though they are still royals, they don’t use their privileges or titles for their careers.”

At present Harry and Meghan are funded by various financial backings including a suspected annual £2 million from the Sovereign Grant which is funded by the taxpayer and claim approximately just under £1.5 million a year in ‘non-official expenditure’. They have said they will give this money up and instead work to become financially independent from the Royal Family.

The couple have expressed their desire to pursue commercial projects in their attempt to become financially independent.

Meghan’s past collaborative ventures have been heavily focused around the fashion industry, including guest editing the coveted September 2019 issue of British Vogue, the editor of which she shares a close friendship with, and launching a clothing collection last year for Smart Works, an organisation that helps underprivileged women secure employment. Therefore, it makes sense that the Duchess is reportedly in talks to partner with major fashion brands, including the likes of Givenchy. Some have even speculated that the couple could potentially use their 10.5 million Instagram followers to market products.

The Duke and Duchess’ interest in commercial ventures has been criticised by many who feel uneasy about the pair exploring commercial opportunities whilst retaining their royal titles, which they have not suggested they plan to renounce.

“Nearly any employment of the type they are going to get is open to the charge that they are monetising or exploiting their royal brand,” said BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond.

Royal expert Joanna Dreifus also has concerns about potential profit making off of the royal name.

“If the rumour that they will have their logo or image splashed over hundreds of different commercial products is true, it won’t look good,” she said. 

However, she also expressed an understanding that commercial deals may be necessary if they plan on being financially independent since they are very unlikely to secure ‘regular’ jobs. 

The issue of who will foot the bill of the couple’s security costs has been hotly debated since news of their step back from the royals first broke. 

The couple, along with their son Archie, currently have six permanent Metropolitan Police bodyguards which reportedly cost the British taxpayer approximately £600,000 a year.  

Rumours have circulated that the Canadian taxpayer may be responsible for these costs after the move however it is still a possibility that Britons may continue to foot the bill. 

Mr Janardana and Ms Dreifus both believe Harry and Meghan should be personally responsible for the cost.

The couple faced yet more criticism after a constitutional expert claimed their decision to move to Canada could be unlawful and end up in the country’s Supreme Court.

Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Michael Behiels, told the Mail Online that Canada’s Supreme Court could be asked to rule on whether it is lawful to allow them to live in the country claiming there “is no constitutional role of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex”. 

Exact conditions of the couple’s move and future plans are not yet known however it’s likely they will continue to face several obstacles during their transition.