The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has rebranded her and Prince Harry’s website to Sussex.com. The move has drawn criticisms, saying it is an attempt to profit from their royal connections despite their resignation as working royals. Their previous website Archewell.com, named after their son Archie, began redirecting to the new Sussex.com.
The redesigned website proudly proclaims itself as “The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex” and maintains a link to their previous SussexRoyal.com website. This occurs despite their 2020 agreement to cease using the “Sussex Royal” title following their departure from royal duties.
Critics argue that both the new Sussex.com and the former SussexRoyal.com domain names are attempts by the couple to leverage their royal status for personal gain. Following their departure as active members of the royal family, Harry and Meghan were instructed to relinquish the use of “HRH”, and their entitlement to the Sussex title was a subject of debate within Buckingham Palace. Yet, the choice of Sussex.com seems a fitting selection for the couple, who now use Sussex as their family name. This week, it was also disclosed that their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have adopted “Sussex” as their surname, departing from their original surname, Mountbatten-Windsor, assigned at their births in May 2019 and June 2021.
The launch of Sussex.com aims to consolidate the couple’s charitable and commercial endeavours under one unified brand. The site features bios for Harry and Meghan and links to their Archewell Foundation and Archewell Productions organisations.
The couple acquired the Sussex.com domain from Neil Agate, a British-born businessman and tech entrepreneur now living in the US. Agate had secured the domain name in 1995 and had retained it for almost 30 years. His reported satisfaction with the deal suggests the value of this digital asset.
I got inquiries over the years. You wouldn’t believe how many Sussex insurance companies there are. Most weren’t worth the effort. I got an email from a broker in December and replied with my asking price. They accepted it. I think the price was fair. I didn’t know who was buying it. I’m very happy with the situation.
Neil Agate in an interview for The Sun
The rebrand of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s website to Sussex.com, coupled with the adoption of Sussex as the surname for their entire family, is a strategic move that aligns with a long-standing and successful branding practice. Throughout the decades, the approach of using personal names as brand names has proven to be a highly effective strategy for numerous companies seeking to establish a strong and enduring presence in the marketplace.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex officially launched their rebranded website on 12.02.2024.
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