A move by Meghan in 2024 deepened the feud between the brothers (Image: Getty)
Tensions between Prince Harry and Prince William remain unresolved six years after Harry and Meghan Markle left the UK for California – with a single three-letter word continuing to sour relations. While the royal rift deepened following the Sussexes’ public TV interviews and Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare, the feud deepened further following a subtle but significant blunder by Meghan Markle.
The issue centres around the three-letter “HRH”. The style, standing for “His/Her Royal Highness”, is strictly reserved for senior working royals. Under the terms of the historic 2020 Sandringham Agreement – negotiated with the late Queen Elizabeth II and the then Prince Charles – Harry and Meghan agreed not to use their “HRH” titles in any active capacity after stepping back. At the time, a statement on their website confirmed: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family.”
In 2024, Jamie Kern Lima revealed that Meghan called herself HRH The Duchess of Sussex on a package label (Image: Getty)
The issue came to a head when businesswoman Jamie Kern Lima, a close friend of Meghan, shared a photo on Instagram of a gift basket containing items from the Duchess’s product line.
The tag attached to the package was signed: “HRH The Duchess of Sussex”.
While Meghan remains the Duchess of Sussex, using “HRH” on a branded item was widely viewed as a direct breach of the Sandringham Agreement, sparking immediate backlash online.
Royal experts have said the move blurred the line between commercial gain and royal status – the exact scenario the 2020 deal was designed to prevent.
Meghan’s move frustrated Prince William (Image: Getty)
Speaking to Paris Match, royal expert Stéphane Bern noted: “These three letters have reignited tensions at the very heart of the monarchy.”
Insiders also revealed that the blunder left Prince William “deeply frustrated”. The Prince of Wales, 42, has long maintained that using royal titles for commercial profit is completely unacceptable, leaving an already damaged relationship even harder to repair.
In 2020, Princess Anne’s son Peter Phillips sparked significant backlash after starring in a Chinese TV commercial for Bright Dairies to promote “Jersey Fresh Milk”. The advert featured a luxury stately home and a replica of the royal state carriage, explicitly billing him as a “British Royal Family member” while a butler served him milk on a silver salver. Critics quickly accused him of cashing in on his royal ties for a payout – the exact behaviour Prince William has always been keen to avoid.
While Buckingham Palace never issued a formal response, royal aides reportedly took firm note of the incident. Harry and Meghan did not comment directly on the matter at the time, but their previous stance had been that they retain the right to use their titles as long as they are not acting in an official royal capacity.
