I’m genuinely worried that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are about to go completely dark, media-wise, for months. That fear goes alongside my fear that their big post-royal brand launch got seriously screwed up with the coronavirus pandemic. Perhaps we’ll never know if Harry and Meghan planned to launch their post-royal brand in April and their plans got screwed up. But at least they’re together and far away from the den of vipers in the UK. Small relief. Meanwhile, of course the vipers still want to talk about the Sussexes and their exit. So it is with Katie Nicholl at Vanity Fair, who had an exclusive piece about “the new chapter.” Most of this stuff is information we already knew, but Nicholl does have some sources saying a few new things.
The Sussexes are genuinely excited: According to a source who knows them well, it’s the symbolic end of a difficult period in their lives—and the beginning of something exciting. “They are genuinely excited about the next chapter,” the source revealed. “It hasn’t been an easy time for them but they are looking forward to starting a new chapter and being the couple they want to be. They really want to make a difference on a global level and they are very ambitious about what they want to achieve.”
Their new projects: While the couple are having to put their immediate plans on hold as the world deals with the coronavirus pandemic, they intend to keep busy. Meghan is said to have a number of projects lined up, including a children’s book and a new cookbook, while Disney confirmed last week that she will lend her voice to a wildlife documentary that will air on Disney+ next month. Harry, meanwhile, is focusing on his new eco-travel venture Travalyst, a non- profit organization which will be based in the UK.
They did plan to launch their post-royal brand, but they hit pause: While the source described Harry and Meghan as “upbeat” when they left the U.K. after carrying out their final official engagement on Commonwealth Day, the couple are pressing the pause button on any new announcements given the worldwide health crisis. “Given what is happening in the world it isn’t the right time to be making any major announcements or launching an organization,” the source said. “These things will happen further down the line, but their idea for the organization is already well established and quite far down the line.” The new charitable organization will focus principally on “mental health, women and female empowerment and the environment.”
They already have funding: The charity’s headquarters will be U.S.-based but will operate globally, and Harry and Meghan have already secured a handful of wealthy investors who have agreed to support their non-profit organization.
Why they moved to LA in March: It is thought that Harry and Meghan decided to move to L.A. sooner than expected because of the travel restrictions being imposed on travel between Canada and the United States as a result of the spread of the corona virus. Sources say they decided to move to L.A. after agreeing to leave the UK last year. The couple already have a team of aides in California and will be assisted by PR firm Sunshine Sachs who were initially engaged to do communications support for the Sussex Royal Foundation and will assist Catherine St Laurent, who will have a “key role” in helping to shape the couple’s media image.
They will eventually return to Britain this year: While the couple have put their plans to return to the UK on hold because of the pandemic, a source told Vanity Fair that they do plan to return to Britain “at some point later this year to visit their charities, and of course see their friends and family.”
I do think Harry and Meghan planned to visit the UK in May or June, maybe for Beatrice’s wedding or Trooping the Colour or something. But now all of that stuff has been postponed or cancelled. So… my guess is that the next time the Sussexes return to England, it will be for a funeral or memorial (I’m not trying to be morbid, just realistic) or for Remembrance Day (in November). As for their charity, which is not being launched yet… it does not surprise me in the least that Harry and Meghan already have the money lined up and they already deep into organizing everything. I knew they were not just taking hikes and hanging out in Canada. They were putting together everything about their post-royal lives.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid and WENN.
Love that they are aware this is not the time for photo ops. May they continue working and getting things sorted out. I am excited for the launch and how they will go about things.
They were never photo-ops people.
They finished projects before theY announced the project.
What Meghan accomplished in less than two years, others haven’t in eight years.
Very true.
KatiebloodyNicholls knows nothing about the Sussexes or their plans, period.
I have to agree @BabsORIG. KNicholl is known to make things up out of thin air. I think she pieces together articles from stuff that’s already known, fleshed out by some imaginary embellishments, and perhaps one or two valid tidbits she’s ferreted out.
What a cushy, non-journalistic gossip fiction writer job she has! Plus, she’s definitely bold and aggressive with her RR profile. She’s been at this royal gossip biz since she was a twenty-something baby.
I’m happy that they got some investors on board, especially right now – I am a regular volunteer for a local farm sanctuary and we are entering a really tough time because our open houses (main funding sources for us) have been postponed, people are pulling their donations due to losing their jobs….I worry alot about charities and not-for-profits being able to pull through right now 🙁
My sympathies @OriginalLaia. I hope things will begin to improve in a more positive direction. There will be a steep economic price to be paid in communities around the world, as a result of this pandemic.
Who cares when they launch it? Now or months from now makes no difference. What exactly is there to be “genuinely worried” about?
Nothing to be worried about.
Everyone is pausing because of the virus.
Natal there is a lot in the world to be genuinely worried about but when the Sussexes relaunch their brand is not one of them. It doesnt count in the scheme of things in the world right now.
lol, right? the rebranding of the Sussexes is not even on my list of current concerns.
Nor is it their “list”, according to the article.
It’s best for them to lay low for months and show the world and uk how lazy cambridges are and how useless the monarchy in uk. Laying low is very good for their mental health.
This 👍👍👍, you dont really appreciate what u have until u loose it. Let the keens have the spotlight they worked so hard to get . Let the royals go back to how they were before Meghan; irrelevant.
Yes,. Aria.
The RR will continue to print stories about them because their papers are desperate for money. I hope M&H personally pay no attention – just do their work, be a family and let their PR people deal with any noise.
Right@Aria. That will be helpful in preventing the Lamebridges from having anything Sussex-related to copy for their ongoing embiggening p.r. efforts. Unless we suddenly hear about Kate writing a cookbook and a children’s book, and doing a voiceover for a British animated film. 😄
I’m not surprised that they’ve already secured funding. They’re not going to set up campy PR shots of themselves in their “home office”. They’re actually working behind the scenes and I can’t wait to see what they roll out a few months from now.
This is more of the same: the way we didn’t know about Meghan working with the Grenfell women and the cookbook, or the Smart Set wardrobe until it was rolled out. We don’t get all the articles about how “keen” she is.. she just DOES it. Like her Suits co-stars said: “Meghan gets shit done!”
It was reported in January that they had already secured funding during their ‘downtime’ in late 2019. I remember reading several articles about it. Meghan is a worker bee after my own heart. She is great at long term strategizing and getting everything in place then rolling it out as a done deal. It has also been mentioned before that she was working on a children’s book to support her royal animal shelter patronage and that she was considering a second cookbook. As usual, Nicholl just rolls out what has already been rolled out by more reliable sources. I don’t think Nicoll has an original sentence in her repertoire.
I want a job like Katie Nicholl! Getting paid for already known information and pretend they’re exclusives.
You’re spot on about Nicholl, @JA Lowcountry Lady!
I do think things are set up and the non-profit is well underway in terms of being established, funded, etc. I don’t know if they were planning on launching it this week or not, but if they were, or at any time in the near future, then it makes sense that its ready to go, more or less.
I am not genuinely worried about these two. You don’t need to either Kaiser.
Their decision to leave was the wisest, healthiest move. That, in addition to their proven work success? I suspect they are happier and healthier and wiser than most.
It makes no sense to stay in denial about “Family” when they have sold stories to the tabloids and taken away prized and loved positions.
Meg and Harry are operating on another level. XO
Exactly @Pineapple. 👍
H&M have so many good, savvy, supportive and knowledgeable people with them, Clooney’s, Serena, Oprah, Gayle, David Foster, Katherine McPhee and more. Healthy for all three to be in LA and little Archie will be close to a real grandmother in Doria. 🙂
Same, ITA @KellyRyan!
If things work out Harry should be back in the UK for the London Marathon in October.
I’m genuinely excited for them. That one final weekend in the UK together–when H&M basically blew up the internet with their fabulousness–was, what I believe to be, a tiny glimpse into what the future will be like when they really get things going on the public stage. As much as the British media loves to whine and complain about how awful these two are, we all know they are chomping at the bit to see what Harry and Meghan do. Will and Kate cannot even begin to compete with them, and deep down the BM knows it.
For obvious reasons, they will have to be really astute regarding the timing and how they launch their organization. I don’t think they’re tone deaf enough to launch anything while the world is still in the grips of COVID19.
From where I’m sitting (actually laying on the couch), the post-coronavirus landscape will be vastly different than what we’ve had prior to it. They will have to walk a tightrope for awhile—perhaps doing incremental things instead of big idea launches and/or things where smaller charities and/or health professionals are the main faces we see instead of them. I’m thinking more about mental health initiatives & some sustainable environmental things here. I’ve said all of that to say this: even though they will financially benefit from a lot of what they will do, they (especially) will have to always direct the focus to the charity and the people impact of those charitable works for their own protection/credibility simply because of the toxic conditions that were created in the UK and because the post-coronavirus world is becoming rapidly desensitized to the notion of hoarding vast wealth at the expense of the people and their needs. Just my 2 cents.
Peace.
Chelle … I respectfully disagree. Harry and Meghan have always done incredible work.
Their work helps many of the same individuals that will be horribly affected by this virus. Their non-profit will be helping women the world over, individuals involved in mental health and the Environment. All things that are incredible to bring light to. Especially once this Pandemic is finished.
They left the UK to leave the toxic conditions. They left to work. IT would NOT make sense to hold back once they start their new foundation. Not at all.
Very sensible analysis. Coronavirus is a world altering event. I think the nature of celebrity, celebrity activism, royalty, and the worth of all entertainers will evolve. It will be interesting to see what form each of these categories will take in a year.
I wonder. Sometimes I think unless the virus and enforced lockdowns go on for at least a year, it will be too easy for those with money and power to lurch back into running things the way they were. Previous world changing events havent ultimately left the world radically different. People dont seem to change much-we’re a mixed bunch. I really hope I’m wrong, but, I’m afraid we’ll waste this opportunity to hit the reset button too.
I wonder too. I just think that even the youngsters see that “influencers”, youtubers, and traditional celebrities don’t matter that much in the scheme of things. Will everyone want to ignore that this happened? Yes but then I think the fall and, likely, the second cycle of Covid will be upon us.
OF COURSE they secured funding. They were working on that during that time when Harry was in Florida and NYC back in January. Neither Harry or Meghan are the type to do something this big without having a plan and having that plan already in motion.
Katie Nicholl said nothing that wasn’t already known or obvious. That VF continues to employ and pay her for these fake, sometimes flat out wrong, exclusives is the real mystery.
@Anonymous
I couldn’t agree more. Vanity Fair is supposed to be a reputable source and the fact that they still employ her as some kind of royal expert, makes me side eye their credibility as a whole. They would do good to be rid of her and her fakery.
I am so happy that they disabled the vile comments section. Also proud of their resilience. It is also sensible to go incommunicado and ride this storm of Covid-19 out. My reliable instinct is telling me, they will come back refreshed, pregnant and with Mama Doria around, it’s all good. A good bold decision was made. Katie Nichol is just repackaging what we know already to us. They ‘ve all had their drink at The Last Chance Salon. Funny, The RR want to have their cake and eat.
Yeah Katie knows nothing& is just going by the Sussexes’ statements& long standing rumours like the children’s book which came from Dan Wooton I think when they were still at KP so might be truth to that as we know they were leaking as sieves.
The Sussexes said in January they were gonna launch their non profit in the spring so it was obvious that they had a lot in place. Makes sense not to launch now in middle of pandemic.
Was hoping the Queen hiring Sara Latham would be covered on the blog. The royal family have an issue having such vile figures as Katie Hopkins& Piers Morgan being biggest champions of the Cambridges, Charles being unpopular especially going from reaction to his Covid test, Andrew and chasing out their only ‘diverse’ royal family member in less than 2 years. I think there’s gonna be a reckoning for Boris Johnson’s handling of this current crisis& we still have Brexit to come. I wonder if hiring the ‘too liberal’ when she worked for the Sussexes but ‘savvy hire’ for the Queen, Sara Latham is to try& capture the less Conservative/Brexit types?
Yep indeed @ABritGuest. The Sara Latham hire by the Queen really smacks of the Queen’s BP courtiers recognizing superior competence and a ‘savvy hire’ when they see it. Latham has worked on both sides of the continent in the political arena and in top level corporate communications.
Of course, Latham was always dissed and denigrated when she worked for the Sussexes. But that’s no different from the way M&H are consistently trashed by the British media even when everyone knows to the bone how brilliant, charismatic, and genuinely productive they are.
Now they just have to wait 12 years before she’s allowed to have an opinion and actually do anything, according to Angela Kelly.
I’m kind of glad they can pause and go quiet for a while. Saw some active Sussex haters on twitter complaining about the comments being turned off on their IG. Trolls already having withdrawal symptoms. Also, just an observation, Vanity Fair really burned that bridge. Time to suck up a bit now.
I don’t get these people. There are a number of celebs and public figures I dislike, but I do not go out of my way to stay perched in their social media accounts and post nasty comments all day. Who has time for that mess?
IKR? Bonkers!
Exactly @Sid! It smacks of such petty, overly thirsty wackiness. How downright pathological are these Sussex trolls and jealous haters!
Its not like they are pausing while everyone is working. We are all pausing together so they will be fine whenever we are all given the ok to restart. With all we know of Meghan, releasing things after it is done , I doubt anyone will reveal this info to katie the liar .Also as their statement from their press release no royal source, BP, RR will speak on their behalf. Meaning anything from these pple should be taken with a pinch of salt
“Sources say” – ok Katie whatever.
You have no source in the Suusex camp and you will never have one.
A year will go by fast. Hunker down like us all. All the bad vibes will be there waiting…
I think months of radio silence will work in their favor. And when they come back, they will come back with a vengeance nd a Beyonce-like surprise project. The anticipation is going to be out of this world. I’d love to see them kick off their organization with like a major benefit concert like in Central Park or something. Go big or go home. They wanna call you “Hollywood” as an insult? Then show them what Hollywood can do, which is much more than the royals can pull off these days. They are going to be insanely successful and do so much good. I can’t wait to see it.
Although the Sussexs are to have the best advisors at hand, I dare say they are more than secured thanx to Meghan’s past experiences and networks which is their biggest assets right now. I mean she was invited to speak at a UN event for god sake before the royal nonsense started!Harry is truly blessed to have her.
As for their upcoming none profit I agree that things are paused but this is not necessarily a negative thing as the current situation gives them time to copyright things+restructure and plan some more.
I hope people take in what the Sussexs said in their final posts;
“no palace spokesperson…will speak on behalf of the duke&duchess”
That there is all we need to pay attention to. They are no longer taxpayers funded royals so Nicols and her ilk better stop writing fiction & gossiping about the Sussexs. I sense that the Sussexs will not hesitate to use legal action from now on to confront tabloids lies and vanity fair better clean up their act.