Royal expert spots three mistakes in Harry and Meghan’s new coat of arms

Mistakes are unnoticable to average eye but royal expert explains how he thinks Sussexes got it wrong

A royal expert has claimed the coat of arms featured on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's website as part of a rebrand includes three key mistakes.

Prince Harry and Meghan launched their new website earlier this week, changing the name from Archewell to Sussex.com in a nod to their royal roots.

The revamped site declares itself “The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex”, and it also links to their former sussexroyal.com website – even though they agreed to stop using the “Sussex Royal” title in 2020.

The rehaul has stirred controversy since critics claimed the couple should not be cashing in on their regal legacy after stepping down from their duties.

A coat of arms features on their revamped site, with a shield-shaped flag topped with a crown on top, a Lion to the left and a white bird on the right.

Writing for The Telegraph, Hugo Vickers, who has authored biographies on members of the royal family including the Queen Mother, said that Harry and Meghan should not be exploiting their royal connections by using the coat of arms on their website.

He highlighted Haldsbury’s Laws of England, which state that the Royal arms should not be used “in connection with any business, trade, calling, or profession in such a manner as to be calculated to lead to the belief that he is authorised so to do”.

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The royal expert also highlighted three mistakes with the coat of arms used on the site.

Firstly, Mr Vickers pointed out that the coat of arms used is Meghan’s - granted to her when she was still a HRH - rather than a conjugal side-by-side shield. He writes it would have been better to use a joint coat of arms, with two shields side by side, similar to the ones used by the current Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

The left-hand side of the coast of arms, which features Prince Harry's coat of arms, also features an error, Mr Vickers writes. It was issued to the Duke of Sussex in 2018 when he was the grandson of the Sovereign, but now he is son of the Sovereign he should have three-point labels instead of five.

The point labels refer to the white emblem around the neck of the Lion and the top of the shield, the Telegraph explained.

The coronet is also out-of-date since the one used on the site is correct for sons and daughters of the Heir Apparent, with one cross patée, two fleurs de lys and two strawberry leaves. Now Harry is son of the Sovereign, there should be three of each of the described details.

The rebrand comes as Prince Harry spoke about his father’s cancer diagnosis for the first time, suggesting King Charles’s cancer could lead to a reconciliation.

In an interview with a US breakfast show, Harry also said I “love my family” and that he was “grateful” to be able to spend time with his father last week.

The duke’s whirlwind visit to see Charles for around 45 minutes prompted speculation the two men, estranged since the duke stepped down as a working royal, may be on the point of rebuilding their relationship.

In the interview due to be aired on Good Morning America it was suggested a family illness could have a “re-unifying effect”, and when Harry was asked “is that possible in this case?” he replied: “Yeah, I’m sure”.

The duke and his wife Meghan are in Canada staging a number of events with Invictus competitors to mark a year to go until Harry’s Invictus Games, for wounded and sick veterans and military, is staged in the country.

They are being followed by a film crew led by Will Reeve, the son of the late Superman star Christopher Reeve, who interviewed the royal.