Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Won’t Use “Royal” For Their Brand Moving Forward

The Royal Family worked out the terms of the now infamous royal exit, however some questions were left unanswered. Saturday, Jan. 18 saw Queen Elizabeth's statement of support, followed by what the exit from the royal household would mean for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Since the changes will go into effect in the spring, an updated announcement came out on Friday, Feb. 21, revealing news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won't use "royal" for their brand moving forward.

Figuring out the terms of a royal separation certainly wasn't a walk in the park, but the royal household has done everything in their power to make the transition as smooth as possible for everyone. It was inspiring to see HRH Queen Elizabeth's statement about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle show such understanding, bringing a quieter resolution to what was dubbed the royal scandal. Now that the dust has settled — and Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made their first public appearance since their decision to step down — more of the details have come out. Published to the official website of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Friday, Feb. 21, the public now has a clear picture of everything that will go into effect come the spring of 2020. The Royal Family came to agreement on these new details in January to clear up some of the subsequent fog.

The details going forward for the transition period beginning in the spring include the following:

1. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's changed roles go into effect in the spring of 2020, with a 12 month review to follow.
2. The Royal Family is supportive of their decision to live more independently from the Royal household.
3. They will become privately funded members of The Royal Family, which means they have permission to earn their own income and will be able to pursue their own private charity endeavors.
4. They will still represent and support The Queen, but will do so in limited capacity, without support from the Sovereign Grant.
5. They will not be taking on duties on behalf of The Queen, as they are stepping back from Royal duties.
6. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will keep their "HRH" prefix, but won't actively use their HRH titles since they won't be working members of the Royal Family.
7. Prince Harry will remain sixth in line to the throne of The British Monarchy.
8. The Duke and Duchess will retain their patronages.
9. They will retain security protection from the Crown.
10. The Duke of Sussex will retain the rank of Major, and honorary ranks of Lieutenant Commander, and Squadron Leader, but will not take official military appointments prior to the end of the 12-month review.
11. As The Duke and Duchess won't be using the term "Royal," as it will be reviewed since they will not be full-time working Members of The Royal Family.

The standout item is that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won't be using the word "royal" for their projects any longer, and that is for a couple of reasons. The first of those is the UK government rules surrounding the term. By stepping down as Senior members of the Royal Family, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are forfeiting the royal title in the UK, despite their desires to create a new non-profit organization. They will not be using "royal" in any way, and the trademark on The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is no longer in effect.

Technically, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could still use the term "royal" while overseas, but they have announced they don't plan on using the word in any territory once the transition begins. Meanwhile, it appears that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship is stronger than ever, with the intent to focus on their family and raising Archie.