Their public message read that although the monarchy and cabinet office had no jurisdiction over the term outside the United Kingdom, they did not intend to use Sussex Royal in any location once their transition was complete in the spring of that year. According to Bower, the wording of the announcement was viewed inside the Palace as spiteful and disrespectful. He claims it exposed deep resentment toward other family members and even contained a veiled criticism of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who have held outside employment.

The Sussexes originally developed the SussexRoyal brand in 2019 after formally separating their office from that of Prince William and Princess Kate. Their Instagram account grew rapidly and reached more than eleven million followers, matching the audience of the Waleses’ KensingtonRoyal page.

The following year, however, the Queen and senior advisors concluded that the couple could not continue using the title. A source told the Mail that the decision was unavoidable once Harry and Meghan chose to step down. According to the source, it was a significant loss for the couple because they had built their entire identity around the name, but the Queen had little room to maneuver. Since Harry and Meghan were no longer performing official duties and were pursuing commercial ventures, they could not market themselves as royals.

The Palace emphasised at the time that the Sussexes remained much loved. Yet the reality was clear. Their proposal to live partly inside and partly outside the institution was never going to be accepted. Despite the affection the late Queen felt for her grandson and his family, the boundaries of royal representation could not be bent to fit their wishes.