See Prince Edward and Sophie's Joint Coat of Arms After Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Crest Caused a Stir

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's impaled design was spotted online one week after the launch of Sussex.com made waves for its royal branding

<p>Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty</p> Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, at Trooping the Colour in June 2023.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, at Trooping the Colour in June 2023.

Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh’s conjugal coat of arms has been spied online shortly after a royal crest on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s new website caused a commotion.

On Monday, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’s joint coat of arms was spotted in the Linking Environment and Farming Education (LEAF) 2023 Impacts Report shared on X. Sophie, 59, is the honorary president of the organization that supports sustainable food and farming and penned a message about LEAF's work over the last year.

Sophie and Edward's coat of arms featuring two shields under a coronet was stamped on stationery marked Bagshot Park, the royal residence near Windsor Castle where the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh live with their two children, Lady Louise Windsor, 20, and James, Earl of Wessex, 16. A close look at the conjugal coat of arms, which represents Prince Edward and Sophie in heraldic terms as a married couple, shows Edward’s shield on the left and Sophie's on the left. According to Hello! magazine, Prince Edward received his individual coat of arms at age 19, while the Rhys-Jones coat of arms was made for Sophie’s father, Christopher Rhys-Jones, ahead of his daughter’s royal wedding in 1999.

Related: Why Was Meghan Markle's Coat of Arms Used on New Website Instead of Her Joint Crest with Prince Harry?

While the Duke of Edinburgh’s crest incorporates several designs including a harp, his wife’s is defined by a lion in tribute to her Welsh heritage. The motif is a tribute to Sophie’s ancestor, the Welsh warrior Elystan Glodrudd, Prince of Ferrig, Hello! reported.

The couple’s conjugal coat of arms on the letter, which the Duchess of Edinburgh personally signed and was accompanied by a photo of her smiling behind the scenes, surfaced one week after Prince Harry and Meghan quietly launched their new website, Sussex.com. The site features their bios and a log of their latest endeavors, with links to their Archewell Foundation organization and Archewell Productions hub.

<p>Andrew Chin/Getty </p> Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend Invictus Games Vancouver Whistlers 2025's One Year To Go Winter Training Camp on February 14, 2024 in Whistler, British Columbia.

Andrew Chin/Getty

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend Invictus Games Vancouver Whistlers 2025's One Year To Go Winter Training Camp on February 14, 2024 in Whistler, British Columbia.

The landing page shows a photo of Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, at the 2023 Invictus Games closing ceremony in September, overlaid with the text "The office of Prince Harry & Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex," under Meghan's coat of arms. Shortly after the pair’s May 2018 wedding, the palace revealed Meghan's new coat of arms.

The Duchess of Sussex worked closely with the College of Arms to create the design, which included a number of personal elements. The blue background of the shield represents the Pacific Ocean off the California coast, while two golden rays across the shield are symbolic of the sunshine in Meghan’s hometown of Los Angeles. The three quills represent communication and the power of words, a possible reflection of Meghan’s outspoken activism and her defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig.

Related: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Quietly Launch New Sussex.com Website

Prince Harry also has a coat of arms and the pair's symbols can be combined into a "conjugal coat of arms," like the design on Sophie’s LEAF letter — however, the joint Sussex version was never officially revealed by the palace. That may have been due to timing — Prince William and Kate Middleton's combined crest wasn't shared until two years after their royal wedding in 2011.

It's possible that Prince Harry and Meghan chose her design for online because it already incorporates his. The arms of a married woman are also shown with those of her husband and the technical term is that they are "impaled," meaning placed side by side in the same shield. While the right side of the coat of arms represents Meghan, the left side is a reflection of Prince Harry.

However, royal watchers were quick to spot that the crest needs an update following King Charles' accession to the throne in 2022. Now that Prince Harry is the son of the monarch rather than the son of the heir, a different coronet should be used while the five points of the lapel should be changed to three points, according to Gert's Royals.

<p>Andrew Chin/Getty</p> Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend Invictus Games Vancouver Whistlers 2025's One Year To Go Winter Training Camp on February 15, 2024 in Whistler, British Columbia.

Andrew Chin/Getty

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend Invictus Games Vancouver Whistlers 2025's One Year To Go Winter Training Camp on February 15, 2024 in Whistler, British Columbia.


Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

In addition to the coat of arms and their royal titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which were bestowed by Queen Elizabeth on their wedding day, Harry and Meghan's new site also features another element from their royal life.

On the bottom right of the homepage, the couple's titles appear under their joint cypher. The design features an intertwined “H” and “M” in the same cursive style as both Harry and Meghan’s individual cyphers. Sitting atop the initials is a coronet, which features two crosses pattee (a type of Christian cross), four fleurs-de-lys and two strawberry leaves.

Sussex.com went live on Feb. 12, the day before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped out in Canada for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025's One Year to Go celebrations. The regal feel of the website sparked some criticism in Britain following the couple’s step back from their royal roles in 2020, which doubled as the close of their SussexRoyal Instagram page and SussexRoyal.com website. Following the publication of a critical article in The Telegraph, a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan reportedly shared a strong statement with The Mirror.

“We’ve heard time and time again that certain opportunities are make or break for the couple. They’re still here,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “They’re still working and pursuing what they believe in, despite constantly being challenged and criticized. This couple will not be broken.”

<p>Karwai Tang/WireImage</p> Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the Invictus Games One Year To Go Winter Training Camp at Hillcrest Community Centre on February 16, 2024 in Vancouver, Canada.

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the Invictus Games One Year To Go Winter Training Camp at Hillcrest Community Centre on February 16, 2024 in Vancouver, Canada.

In a PEOPLE exclusive, Prince Harry and Meghan opened up about their "meaningful" visit to Canada for the official countdown to the 2025 Invictus Games.

“We loved being back in Canada, a place so meaningful to both of us. It was an honor to be welcomed by the Four Host First Nations, as we marked One Year To Go, together with Invictus coaches, competitors and families,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said following the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025’s One Year to Go festivities last week.

“It filled our hearts to once again be surrounded by Canadian people, food and culture. We felt the Invictus spirit and excitement throughout Whistler and Vancouver, and are so grateful to all our hosts for organizing such a memorable visit. We’re counting down the days until we return!” they add.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.