Prince Harry is in New York this week, doing high-level and high-profile events and meetings with a multitude of charities and NGOs. He is a busy man who works with a variety of important causes, from landmines to conservation to mental health and children’s health. Obviously, Harry doesn’t have to go to CNN and the Daily Mail and beg them to refer to him as a global statesman. Harry IS a global statesman and an internationally recognized philanthropist and advocate. Meanwhile, Harry’s brother and sister-in-law are still trying to relaunch themselves (in a very sad way) yet again to an American audience.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have set their sights on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s home turf as they relaunch plans for their charitable foundation in the US. The royal couple were so keen to win the necessary approval for registering the foundation’s brand from the American trademark authorities that they broke into their summer holiday to complete vital paperwork, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Their foundation’s focus is now on mental health.
Insiders say that the ambitious move is further evidence that the Princess, 42, is ‘on the road to recovery’ from cancer as she prepares for a return to ‘light duties’ after completing chemotherapy.
It raises the prospect of a trip to the US, where Prince Harry and Meghan live in California, although it is stressed there are no immediate plans to travel overseas. The couple last crossed the Atlantic in 2022 for William’s environmental project The Earthshot Prize.
Now the MoS can reveal a US lawyer acting for Kensington Palace has reignited the [foundation’s] proposals. American projects previously focused on the illegal wildlife trade. But an application to the US Patent and Trademark Office last year instead emphasised ‘campaigning’ and ‘fundraising’ linked to ‘mental health initiatives’. It also included an unusual request for ‘printed race numbers, clothing, footwear, headgear’, prompting speculation the couple, both keen runners, were planning to host a charity fun run in the US.
In March, their trademark was refused over technicalities. It was the same month the Princess revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer, and the application has lain dormant for five months. But after good news about her progress, a lawyer restarted the process . Palace sources say the trademark is ‘internal housekeeping’ and the Royal Foundation has no immediate plans to launch a US mental health initiative.
But Royal commentator Richard Palmer said: ‘Given speculation that the Princess might never return to full-time work, this is a positive sign that she and William have hopes of expanding the Royal Foundation in the US. Perhaps [it]wants to raise its profile to tap into American philanthropists?’
Joe Little, of Majesty Magazine, added: ‘It’s another sign that the Princess is on the road to recovery. Clearly a lot of thought and planning has gone into this application, and we can only interpret this as a positive step.’
Remember when William and Kate’s Boston trip was supposed to be their big, splashy, thunder-stealing trip which would knock the Sussexes back on their heels? LMAO. Remember William’s trip to New York last year, where he lied about going for a run and the mayor canceled on him? Yeah. Don’t get me wrong, I have no doubt that William wants to try to relaunch himself in America and make more visits to North America. Kate does not, she doesn’t want to travel anymore and that’s something no one can admit outloud. But sure, trademark applications are tricky, I’m glad the Mail is figuring that out! And it’s funny that Will and Kate want credit for stepping away from their summer holiday to “complete vital paperwork.” The bar is in hell, as always.
It’s also still amazing to me that: William is skipping the Earthshot busywork in New York this year (because Harry’s there) and that he skipped the Tusk Trust fundraiser in the Hamptons in August. While Huevo is desperate to have what Harry has in America (respect & attention), William is also just fundamentally too lazy to actually follow through.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.