Although Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lost their HRH titles after announcing that they will be stepping down as senior royals, the couple is still known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Now, reports claim that they may be banned from using the Sussex Royal brand after their withdrawal.
While this alleged matter is still being sorted out, it has emerged that Meghan Markle was already crafting her own “brand” way before she met Prince Harry. According to a 2018 book “Meghan: A Hollywood Princess,” the Duchess of Sussex has been creating her personal brand since 2006.
This was that time that Meghan Markle was a part of a television game show called Deal or No Deal. She was one of the 26 “Briefcase Girls” on the show.
Meghan Markle reportedly “stood out” from the other models because of how he handled herself. While most of the girls went on night outs and met up for after-work activities, the Duchess of Sussex rarely joined them.
She also didn’t pose for silly pictures, and would always try to show off her best angles to the camera. Meghan Markle only drank champagne, didn’t engage with gossips and was apparently “never heard to swear.”
While many of the models felt extremely lucky to be a part of Deal or No Deal as it was a pretty popular show in the US, Meghan Markle saw it as a temporary stint and had her eyes on acting.
“Looking back, it was clear that she had a brand and wanted to protect that brand for a future career as a serious actor,” royal biographer Andrew Morton wrote. “She knew where she wanted to go and it certainly wasn’t spending her days on Deal or No Deal.”
Fast forward to 2020 and Meghan Markle is now the wife of Prince Harry. Since the former actress had always been curious about her brand, she and Prince Harry have worked hard on their Royal Sussex brand over the past couple of years. However, it looks like there will be a possibility that it will be ripped from them after their decision to quit as senior royals.
“As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are stepping back as senior members of the Royal Family and will work towards financial independence, use of the word ‘Royal’, in this context, needed to be reviewed. Discussions are still ongoing,” a source said. “As part of the process to transition the Duke and Duchess of Sussex into their new chapter, planning has been well underway around the launch of their new non-profit organization. Details will be shared in due course.”
