What is Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's non-profit brand Archewell, what does it mean and when will it launch?

7 April 2020, 15:28

Here's everything you need to know about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's new brand Archewell. Picture: Getty

By Alice Dear

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have applied to have the name Archewell trademarked as they prepare to launch their new empire, but what does this mean?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals earlier this year, and have since been working on their next steps.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously stepped away from the branding of Sussex Royal, and have now – according to trademark applications lodged in the US – replaced it with Archewell.

Archewell is said to be the name of their new non-profit empire, which they are yet to launch.

But what do we know about Archewell, what's the meaning behind the name and when will the royal couple launch it?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle applied to trademark Archewell. Picture: Getty

What is Archewell?

Archewell is the name of Meghan and Harry's new charitable brand.

The couple lodged applications to have the name trademarked in Beverly Hills back on March 3, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office website.

The couple previously used Sussex Royal as the branding for all their projects, but have since left that behind after stepping down as senior royals.

The name covers items from educational materials, clothing, stationery and a nutrition and general health website.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry dropped their Sussex Royal branding when they stepped down from royal duties. Picture: Getty

What does Archewell mean?

Archewell has a specific meaning to Meghan and Harry.

In a statement, the couple announced that they came up with the idea of Arche, which in greek means 'source of action', before establishing Sussex Royal.

They said: "We connected to this concept for the charitable organisation we hoped to build one day".

They also revealed that the name inspired the name of their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry revealed the word 'Arche' inspired the name of their son, Archie. Picture: Getty

When will Archewell be released?

While the couple had plans to launch Archewell soon, the couple have put it on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak.

After the trademark applications were discovered by a publication, a spokesperson for the couple released a statement.

It read: "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."

They continued: “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.”