The Reason Meghan Markle's Coat Of Arms Was Used On Sussex Website Instead Of Joint Crest

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have launched a new website, which acknowledges their time and work before they stepped back from the royal family. The website features Meghan's coat of arms, which incorporates elements of Harry's crest.

Their Sussex website also has elements of their royal life, like their intertwined initials. The couple's recent decision to use their royal titles and coat of arms on their website has been met with criticisms, with many claiming it could get shut down by the royal family.

On Monday, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle quietly launched their new website, Sussex.com. The website serves as a center for information on their charitable work as a couple, which they run through their Archewell Foundation.

A visit to the homepage shows that it's filled with acknowledgment of their time and work while they were still senior members of the royal family before they stepped down in 2020.

The website also includes a photo of Harry and Meghan at the closing ceremony of the 2023 Invictus Games under Meghan's official coat of arms.

On their former website, SussexRoyal.com, there's now a redirect to the new Sussex.com address. The message on the site reads, "This site was established in 2020 and sets out the work streams of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex prior to their move to the United States."

It's an odd choice that the couple chose to use Meghan's coat of arms instead of Harry's or a couple's combined version. According to a report, this is likely because they never received a "conjugal coat of arms" from the palace before their 2020 exit.

Per People magazine, their lack of a "conjugal coat of arms" has been attributed to the slow process of getting the crest, as even Prince William and Kate Middleton didn't get their combined crest until about two years after their marriage.

Another reason is that Meghan's crest incorporates elements of Harry's on its left side and hers on the right side, so it kind of represents both of them.

Fans of the couple and the royal family have pointed out on social media that even Harry's crest requires an update after King Charles ascended to the throne. Now, the Duke is the son of the reigning monarch, not the son of the heir, so his crest should have a different coronet and three points in the lapel.

Harry and Meghan's new website also includes more details and elements from their time as senior royals.

Aside from the Duchess' coat of arms and official royal titles, they also placed their joint cypher on the bottom right of the website's homepage.

The design of the joint cypher features their intertwined initials. This is an "H" and "M" written in the same cursive style used for both Harry and Meghan's individual cyphers.

On top of the stylized initials is a coronet, which features a type of Christian cross called a cross pattée, four fleurs-de-lys, and two strawberry leaves.

After the launch of their new website, Harry and Meghan got slammed for using their royal titles and coat of arms on the website.

Critics of the couple argued that they no longer have the right to use their royal titles since they stepped back from their roles as senior royals.

Several critics were especially irked by the fact that Harry and Meghan used their titles on the new website without including the phrase "serving the monarchy," which was heavily featured on their previous royal website.

"It is a royal title, and if there is any hint of commercialism about this, it will be shut down. It's just staggering they cannot see how gauche it is," an insider said of the situation.

Amid the backlash, a source close to Harry and Meghan hit back at the critics, defending the Sussexes' use of their titles in a statement to the Daily Mail.

The source told the news outlet, "Prince Harry and Meghan are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. That is a fact. It is their surname and family name."