Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Just Took Another Step Away From Royal Life & It’s a Major One

Now that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dropped their Sussex Royal charity, their royal exit really feels complete. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have finally moved to close their first charity as a royal couple together with official paperwork filed this July, several sources claim. It certainly marks a bittersweet moment for the pair and their followers, as all things Sussex Royal are officially no more.

Followers of Meghan, 38, and Harry, 35, will remember when they announced their plan to step back from the royal family in January 2020. It was a decision that rocked the royal family and the Sussexes life as they knew it. Within weeks, proceedings over their royal exit turned complicated, and at times, messy: There were feuds between the royal couples, countless rumors about the Duchess, and the Queen’s shocking decision to strip the Sussexes’ titles. And that wasn’t the only difficult choice that Her Majesty made—by February, she’d banned Meghan and Harry from ever using the “royal” word trademark. That’s when things with their Sussex “Royal” charity got stopped in their tracks.

Like their now-defunct Instagram page of the same name, Meghan and Harry were prompted to shut down their Sussex Royal charity over its name. “As The Duke and Duchess will no longer be considered full-time working Members of The Royal Family, it was agreed that use of the word ‘Royal’ would need to be reviewed as it pertains to organisations [sic] associated with them in this new regard,” a statement on their former website reads.

Source: Instagram

An update posted before their final exit in April adds, “While there is not any jurisdiction by The Monarchy or Cabinet Office over the use of the word ‘Royal’ overseas, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not intend to use ‘Sussex Royal’ or any iteration of the word ‘Royal’ in any territory (either within the UK or otherwise) when the transition occurs Spring 2020.” And they have yet to since.

While one chapter of the Sussexes’ charitable life is closing, however, another is just beginning to take form. Meghan and Harry are still allowed to pursue their own private charitable efforts following their royal exit. The pair announced an organization of their own in April, a non-profit named Archewell—which, you guessed it, has a clear link to their son Archie’s name.

Prince Harry told The Telegraph that he and his wife always liked the idea of this name. “Before SussexRoyal, came the idea of ‘Arche’—the Greek word meaning ‘source of action,'” he told the outlet later that month. “We connected to this concept for the charitable organisation [sic] we hoped to build one day, and it became the inspiration for our son’s name,” he explained, before adding, “Archewell is a name that combines an ancient word for strength and action, and another that evokes the deep resources we each must draw upon.”

Given the United States’ ongoing social distancing recommendations, things with Archewell are paused for the time being. But we have no doubt that Meghan and Harry are just gearing up to hit the ground running once the world is ready for them.