Disney and Givenchy among brands Meghan plans to work with following decision to 'step back' from Royal Family

Ellen Manning
Britain's Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, arrives to meet academics and students during a roundtable discussion on female access to higher education with the Association of Commonwealth Universities, at the University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa, October 1, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville
Britain's Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, arrives to meet academics and students during a roundtable discussion on female access to higher education with the Association of Commonwealth Universities, at the University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa, October 1, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Disney and Givenchy have been named among possible brands that the Duchess of Sussex plans to work with following her and Prince Harry’s decision to step back as senior royals.

According to the Times, Meghan has already signed a deal with Disney to record a voiceover in exchange for a donation to wildlife charity Elephants Without Borders.

According to the report, Meghan recorded the voiceover before the couple left for Canada in December.

Meghan has returned to Canada following the couple’s announcement on Wednesday, as the Queen instructed royal aides to find a “workable solution” to the couple’s future role in the monarchy.

Meghan Markle in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle for her wedding to Prince Harry in Windsor, Britain, May 19, 2018. Jonathan Brady/Pool via REUTERS
Meghan could reach a deal with Givenchy, who made her wedding dress (Picture: Jonathan Brady/Pool via REUTERS)

It has also been reported that the former Suits star is also negotiating commercial deals with fashion brands including Givenchy, who made her wedding dress.

She is said to have picked Clare Waight Keller of Givenchy to design her double-bonded silk cady bridal gown after watching Keller’s career for some time.

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A fashion deal would be unsurprising, with Meghan already having been involved in the industry including guest editing the September 2019 edition of Vogue and launching her own sell-out capsule collection for SmartWorks in September last year.

In Harry and Meghan’s newly-launched Royal Sussex website, they dedicate a whole section to funding, saying they “value the ability to earn a professional income, which in the current structure they are prohibited from doing”.

Royal memorabilia featuring Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is displayed in a souvenir shop in Windsor, west of London on January 9, 2020. - Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan stunned the British monarchy on Wednesday by quitting as front-line members -- reportedly without first consulting Queen Elizabeth II. In a shock announcement, the couple said they would spend time in North America and rip up long-established relations with the press. Media reports said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their bombshell statement without notifying either Harry's grandmother the monarch, or his father Prince Charles. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)
The couple are already said to have trademarked hundreds of items (Picture: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)

In their shock statement, the couple said they plan to “work to become financially independent” as they “carve out a progressive new role” within the monarchy.

That includes no longer receiving an income from the Sovereign Grant, which funds the work of the Queen and other royals and makes up 5% of their income, but it is thought the couple could still receive money from Prince Charles’ Duchy of Cornwall which is significantly more.

The couple have already trademarked their Sussex Royal brand on more than 100 items including pencils, socks and bookmarks, adding to speculation that they are likely to leverage it commercially.

But the Guardian revealed that the couple could face a battle to protect the name after an application was lodged with EU authorities to trademark a range of goods with the same name.

An application lodged with the European Union Intellectual Property Office that covers areas including toiletries, sporting goods, toys and alcoholic beverages could be an attempt to piggy back on the couple’s brand, the newspaper reported.

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