Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have been known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since their wedding in 2018, are facing backlash over not acknowledging Sussex Day, with a former local MP calling for them to rescind their royal titles

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Image: Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have faced fresh calls to have their royal titles stripped after not publicly acknowledging Sussex Day. The couple were granted the title of Duke and Duchess of Sussex by the late Queen Elizabeth following their 2018 wedding, with Meghan becoming the first Duchess of Sussex in history, and Harry being the second person to ever hold the title of Duke of Sussex.

During their time as working royals, before they left the Firm in 2020 and relocated to California for a new life away from royal duties, the couple only visited the area of Sussex once, with the visit lasting a mere six hours.

Calls for Harry and Meghan to be stripped of their royal titles have been reignited after they failed to acknowledge Sussex Day(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

With Sussex day celebrated on June 16 each year, local residents and a former Sussex MP has called for Harry and Meghan to be stripped of their titles after they did not, and have not in years previous, acknowledged the day.

The day is marked to celebrate the rich heritage and culture of Sussex, while many charities also pitch in to raise funds for various programs to help boost the community. Sussex Day is often marked by dancing, music and market stalls in towns across the county.

Given the fact that the annual day of celebration has yet again gone unnoticed by the Duke and Duchess, former Sussex MP Tim Loughton believes they should be stripped of the titles, as he told MailOnline .

He said: “Yet again the interest of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the county from which they continue to use their title has been underwhelming to say the least. It is time we had a Duke of Sussex who has a genuine interest in our County, and wishing Sussex residents a happy Sussex Day is hardly a tall order.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were granted the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex by the late Queen Elizabeth on their wedding day in 2018(Image: Getty Images)

“They rarely visited Sussex even before they abandoned the UK for California and on our County Day they have again shown no interest in Sussex”.

Mr Loughton’s sentiment was echoed online, with many royal fans claiming that: “They don’t care about Sussex. They only want the titles and none of the responsibility that comes with it.”

However, others on social media were more forgiving towards Harry and Meghan, as one person wrote: “They would have been castigated if they had acknowledged the day as non-working royals, and castigated if they hadn’t. They can’t win.”

While Harry and Meghan didn’t acknowledge Sussex Day, the pair were still active on social media, as Meghan used the day to promote the upcoming release of her new products through her lifestyle brand As Ever.

Sussex Day coincided with the announcement of a new line of products from Meghan’s lifestyle brand As Ever (Image: JAKE ROSENBERG/NETFLIX)

Taking to Instagram, Meghan teased that a range of “delicious surprises” will be in store for her second brand launch, writing: “Oh yes, honey…sweet things await. We’re bringing back your favorites, plus some delicious surprises you won’t want to miss!” Fans won’t have to wait long to get their hands on the new range, with Meghan telling her followers to “mark your calendars” for June 20 at 8am PT (4pm UK time).

Along with the caption, Meghan added a picture of a stack of pancakes, topped with sweet raspberries and a generous drizzle of honey. The picture has many speculating that Meghan’s delicious honey will once again be for sale, along with her famous jams.

In a newsletter to fans, she said: “First off, a sincere thank you for making the debut of As ever absolutely extraordinary. We had a feeling there would be excitement, but to see everything sell out in less than an hour was an amazing surprise.

“We are pleased to share that on June 20th, we’re going live with the products you love – plus, some new delicious surprises,” adding that “so much love has gone into this”.