Duke and Duchess of Sussex agree partnership with US brands giant Procter & Gamble

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have signed a long-term “global partnership” with US consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble.

The couple on Tuesday night announced that their Archewell Foundation had joined forces with the US-based company to “uplift girls and women” to “build more compassionate communities” and promote the “transformative power” of sport.

P&G owns billion-dollar brands including Pampers, Aerial, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Febreze and Olay.

The deal is the latest the Sussexes have struck with major companies as they seek to establish their non-profit organisation and secure their financial futures.

They said the P&G partnership would focus on gender equality, creating inclusive online spaces and resilience and impact through sport.

The announcement comes 28 years after the Duchess wrote to Procter & Gamble as an 11-year-old to complain about a “very sexist” advert she had seen on television for Ivory dishwashing soap that declared: “Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans.”

The move gave the aspiring activist one of her first tastes of success as the company changed the word “women” to “people.”

She recalled in 2019: “Truth be told, at 11 I don’t think I even knew what sexism meant. I just knew that something struck me internally that was telling me it was wrong. And using that as my moral compass and moving through from the age of 11, at that age I was able to change this commercial.”

The Duchess added: “It really set up the trajectory for me to say, if there was a wrong, if there is a lack of justice, and there is an inequality, then someone needs to do something. And why not me?”

The latest announcement comes just days after the Sussexes announced that they had partnered with P&G to mark US Mother’s Day, with a donation to an LA-based charity that helps homeless and vulnerable pregnant women.

In a letter to Harvest Home, Meghan, 39, whose second child, a daughter, is thought to be due next month, wrote: “As a mom, and an expectant mom, I deeply appreciate the significance of community support, safe and accessible pregnancy resources, and trusted guidance in a nurturing setting.”

The couple said the P&G partnership would build on Archewell’s work with organisations such as Girls Inc and National Women’s Law Centre to “elevate the voices of adolescent girls to ensure their point of view and lived experience is heard at the tables where decisions are made".

It will also expand on P&G's collaboration with Promundo, a Brazil-based organisation that works with men and boys to promote gender equality and prevent violence.

The statement said they would also work with parents from all backgrounds and walks of life to ensure they have the support they need and build on the Duke’s work in “showcasing the power of sport in the recovery of wounded, injured, and sick service members and veterans around the world.”

The statement added: “Through this stream of work, both organisations recognise that when we uplift girls and women, communities thrive and everyone wins.”