Skip to main content

Aside from some scattered appearances here and there, it appears that Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry will be taking the rest of the year off. At the top of the year, the royal couple announced that they would be stepping away from their roles as senior working members of the Britsh royal family.

At first, it appeared that they would remain in the royal fold as part-time working royals. However, after that option was vetoed, the couple walked away completely, for a totally independent life in LA. However, they could not have anticipated the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Due to the pandemic, the Sussexes‘ post-royal plans have effectively been put on hold. Though they’ve revealed their plans to launch a new charitable foundation, some new paperwork suggests they might have something else up their sleeves.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry shuttered their Sussex Royal foundation

Even before leaving the royal family, Meghan and Prince Harry were adamant about setting themselves apart from Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. After all, Prince Harry had lived in his brother’s shadow and then as the third-wheel to the Cambridge clan for many years.

Therefore, no one was shocked when the Sussexes split away from the Cambridges’ Royal Foundation Charity in May 2019 to form the Sussex Royal Foundation. However, Megxit meant that the Sussexes had to relinquish the Sussex Royal name and shutter their new foundation as a whole.

RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Will Never Make It in Hollywood, Expert Claims

Inside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s plans for Archewell foundation

In early April 2020, plans for the Sussexes post-royal venture leaked. With Sussex Royal shuttered, it appears that the pair are looking to launch their Archewell foundation in early 2021 if the social climate permits. The Sussexes shared in a statement via Harper’s Bazaar,

Like you, our focus is on supporting efforts to tackle the global COVID-19 pandemic but faced with this information coming to light, we felt compelled to share the story of how this came to be. Before SussexRoyal, came the idea of ‘Arche’—the Greek word meaning ‘source of action.’ We connected to this concept for the charitable organization we hoped to build one day, and it became the inspiration for our son’s name. To do something of meaning, to do something that matters. 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.

Prince Harry and Meghan have not released any additional statements about Archewell, but the trademarks for the brand do reveal a bit more about the foundation. It appears to be a hybrid of non-profit and for-profit work that could include movies, podcasts, clothing, charitable services, and even online seminars, lectures, and retreats.

Related

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Won’t Ever Delete Their Sussex Royal Instagram Account

Here’s what we know about the mysterious MWX foundation

Though we assumed Archewell was set in stone, it looks like the Sussexes might have something else on the horizon. In July 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan began undergoing the official process to liquidate Sussex Royal since they cannot use the word royal in any branding.

However, experts noticed that company paperwork showcased the name MWX Foundation instead of Sussex Royal. The change of name service was officially made on Aug. 5. Since the Sussex Royal website still exists, fans are shocked. They are speculating that the name could mean Meghan Windsor Foundation or the Mountbatten Windsor Foundation.

“Do you think MWX means MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR X Royals???” one fan asked. Another quipped, “Harry and Meghan changed their foundation name to MWX. What if M stands for Mountbatten W Windsor. Oh to be a fly on the wall. Just Windsor is bad enough.” Financial expert Robert Leach told MailOnline,

The name could just be a placeholder since the Sussexes are distancing themselves from the word royal. I have never heard of a company changing its name while it is being wound up. It does take a little bit of time to wind up a company, though, so perhaps it’s a break from the ‘Royal’ name for that period.