Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been criticised over the timing of their announcement of plans to launch a new not-for-profit foundation.
The couple said they ‘look forward’ to kick-starting Archewell, which will replace their Sussex Royal brand, ‘when the time is right’. They also revealed the ancient Greek word in the project – Arche – was the inspiration behind the name of their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.
Royal biographer Phil Dampier condemned the ‘appalling timing’ of the announcement, which came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to intensive care with persistent coronavirus symptoms.
But The Sussexes said they had delayed releasing full details of the project due to the ongoing crisis, adding that they felt ‘compelled’ to share some information after The Telegraph uncovered paperwork filed in the US last month seeking to trademark the name.
It covers educational items including books and online training materials as well as stationery and clothes.
Details of the Archewell plans were published by The Telegraph just hours after Mr Johnson was transferred to intensive care.
Mr Dampier, a royal biographer for more than three decades and author of ‘Royally Suited: Harry and Meghan In Their Own Words’, told MailOnline it was ‘the worst possible timing’.
He said he would have ‘laid low’ until the Covid-19 crisis passed, adding: ‘People everywhere are really concerned with dealing with this and it does not look good, however good the cause is.’
The announcement split opinion online, with some Twitter users hitting out at the ‘terrible timing’ and others defending the couple for ‘starting a legacy connected to their son’s name’.
One said it ‘makes them appear more detached from reality and the struggles that the everyday person is going through’, while they ‘don’t really think it was sensible timing to announce this while we’re in the midst of a pandemic’.
But another said Harry and Meghan ‘are smart enough to know when they filed the trademark name this wouldn’t stay a secret’, adding that ‘while I am sure they would rather have had better timing, it’s an essential step to forming any organisation’.
Responding to The Telegraph, the couple said their attention and efforts were focused on the pandemic.
But in light of the plans being revealed, they said they felt ‘compelled’ to elaborate on how they came into existence.
The Sussexes told the newspaper: ‘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 organisation 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.
‘We look forward to launching Archewell when the time is right.’
Downing Street has said the PM is ‘stable’ and in ‘good spirits’ following his admission to hospital on Sunday night.
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