Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's "Sussex Royal" Trademark Has Been Temporarily Blocked

Ouch.

Katherine J. Igoe's avatar
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Meghan and Harry
(Image credit: Pool/Samir Hussein)
  • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's trademark request for "Sussex Royal" has been formally opposed.
  • What this means, in short, is that they have a longer period to wait until they find out whether their trademark has been approved. It might also mean legal action, depending on the validity of the opposition.
  • ICYMI, here are more details about how Harry and Meghan hope to make money.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have had a bit of a setback on their path to becoming financially independent. They formally submitted to trademark "Sussex Royal" so that they can launch their charity foundation and sell merchandise—but someone has put in a formal opposition to that trademark, which means that the couple will have a longer wait (and, potentially, legal proceedings) until they know whether their trademark request will go through or not.

Per HELLO!: 

Documents at the Government's Intellectual Property Office show that the formal "notice of threatened opposition" was registered on Tuesday...Harry and Meghan's period of opposition [during which anyone who opposes the trademark can file a complaint] has now been extended until at least 20 March, but was originally due to end on 20 February. The opposition was filed by Benjamin Worcester of Victoria, Australia, who studied medicine at University College London and reportedly worked as a doctor in the NHS in London between 2011 and 2014. It is not yet known why he filed the opposition.

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That's so odd, right? That this random person (random as far as we know—he may have a legitimate reason we don't know about, but for the moment it's unclear) would put in a formal complaint? I have the feeling, if he's giving interviews, he'll explain why. The fact that he used to work as a doctor in London...might have some bearing? As of this moment we don't know a whole bunch.

Meanwhile, the Sussex Instagram still bears the moniker for now:

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal)

But they may have to change it if they can't use "Sussex Royal."

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.