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Rediff.com  » Business » William, Kate and Harry set up firms to protect 'brand'
This article was first published 10 years ago

William, Kate and Harry set up firms to protect 'brand'

January 20, 2014 10:37 IST

Image: Britain's Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, walk to a Christmas Day morning service at the church on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
Photographs: Andrew Winning/Reuters

Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry have secretly set up their own companies to protect their ‘brand’ in a move similar to celebrities like the Beckhams.

The three young Royal family members each set up a firm in case they ever need them ‘to protect intellectual copyright’, a royal aide was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

. . .

William, Kate and Harry set up firms to protect 'brand'

Image: Britain's Prince Harry attends the Walking with the Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge 2013 British team departure event at Trafalgar Square in London November 14, 2013.
Photographs: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters

The firms were set up in 2012 on the advice of lawyers, but have been dormant ever since and are not intended to be used for trading, the report said.

In a move more often associated with celebrities such as David and Victoria Beckham, they told lawyers to establish companies in each of their names.

31-year-old William's company is called APL Anglesey, which is made up of his middle initials -- Arthur Philip Louis -- and the island where the couple lived at the time.

Its main director is Miguel Head, the Duke's private secretary.

. . .

 

William, Kate and Harry set up firms to protect 'brand'

Image: The Tardis is seen in the grounds of Buckingham Palace during a reception to mark the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, London November 18, 2013.
Photographs: Eddie Mulholland/pool/Reuters

Kate, 32, used the name CE Strathearn, her own initials, Catherine Elizabeth, and Strathearn from the Countess of Strathearn, one of her official titles, and chose her own private secretary Rebecca Deacon as a director.

Prince Harry named his own company after an African gazelle and nominated Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, who is principal private secretary to all three, as a director.

. . .

William, Kate and Harry set up firms to protect 'brand'

Image: Britain's Queen Elizabeth (L) and South Korea's President Park Geun-hye arrive in a state carriage at Buckingham Palace in London November 5, 2013.
Photographs: Carl Court/Pool/Reuters

A spokesman for the three likened the companies to the Prince Charles' AG Carrick company, which is used for the sale of prints and photographs of his water colours to raise money for one of his charities.

"It is a pre-emptive move to give them a vehicle for intellectual property, if they needed to trademark anything in the future, but there are currently no plans to use them.

“They are not intended to be used as trading arms," a royal aide was quoted as saying.

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