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Meghan Markle has reportedly trademarked her Sussex royal brand on a broad array of items ranging from teaching materials and emotional support groups to clothing and even newspapers, reports the Daily Mail.
The publication cites documents published by the Intellectual Property Office as disclosing that among the items the royals, currently enjoying a six-week Christmas break in Canada, have so far trademarked are: instructional and teaching materials; printed educational materials; printed publications; educational books; textbooks; magazines and newsletters.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex thus appear to be mulling turning their brand into a global empire as they stamp their name on the list of goods and services for their newly created foundation Sussex Royal.
Also on the list published by the Intellectual Property Office are clothing: t-shirts, coats, jackets, anoraks, trousers, sweaters, jerseys, dresses, pyjamas, suits, sweat shirts, hooded tops, caps, hats, bandanas, and headbands.
The array of items also covers footwear, socks, scarves, neckwear, gloves, and sportswear.
The list is also said to suggest the royals plan to trademark the title on developing and coordinating volunteer projects for charitable purposes; providing volunteering opportunities and recruitment of volunteers and information, advisory and consultancy services.
Perceived as one of the most intriguing is the application to reportedly trademark in periodicals: printed reports, fact sheets, brochures, programmes, booklets, pamphlets, leaflets, manuals, journals, diaries, calendars, posters, art prints, notebooks, postcards, and greeting cards.
“The Royal Divide”
The news comes as the royals spent Christmas away from the rest of the Royal Family at Sandringham in Vancouver, Canada, with seven-month-old son Archie and the Duchess's mother, Doria Ragland.
The couple missed the Queen's traditional pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace at the monarch's private estate Sandringham on Christmas Day, in a decision royal experts claimed could further distance the Sussexes from the rest of the Royal Family.
Prior to his marriage to former US actress Meghan Markle, Prince Harry always spent Christmas at the Queen’s house in Sandringham, missing the event only when he was serving in Afghanistan in 2012.
The royal couple have had a tumultuous year, struggling in the harsh media spotlight amid allegations of their disaccord within the family.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry became the target of criticism after they deviated from royal protocol during the ITV documentary, Harry & Meghan: An African Journey.
In the interview, Meghan Markle admitted her “struggles” in Great Britain and as a newly-minted mother plunged into the media public eye, while Prince Harry revealed his “different paths” with his brother Prince William.
Earlier this year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex formally parted ways from the charity foundation they shared with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Royal Foundation, which was set up in 2009, to pursue their own charitable project.
The decision followed Meghan Markle and Prince Harry creating their own household in March, breaking away from Prince William and Kate Middleton’s headquarters.
Currently, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s primary residence is Frogmore Cottage, with an office at Buckingham Palace. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have their office at Kensington Palace.