[Prince Harry and Meghan were ‘surprised’ that King Charles issued a letter making it clear that despite being back in the UK, the couple should still be considered ‘private citizens’]
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle say they are “surprised” by King Charles’ bombshell letter making clear the couple will still remain “private citizens” rather than working royals following their return to the UK.
The couple’s spokesman said in a statement issued to the media that the Sussexes were a “little surprised” and caught off guard by the move and did not have enough time to clarify any points – something Palace sources have hit back at.
The unprecedented letter, issued on behalf of the King and sent to more than 100 “senior stakeholders” yesterday, said the couple should not use their HRH styles, which are still in abeyance, and that they “do not represent the sovereign” while out making public appearances.
The guidance was sent under the King’s instruction by his most senior official, the Lord Chamberlain, to offer clarity over Harry and Meghan’s royal status after requests for guidance. It has been issued to those in government, the military and lord lieutenants up and down the country.
But today, a spokesman for the Duke and Duchess said: “We were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance,” adding that the publication of the letter had caught the couple off guard.
The letter was revealed to the media on Monday. It is understood the contents were shared with Harry and Meghan’s team almost an hour before it’s revelation.
Team Sussex sent a response back to Buckingham Palace at 2.19pm asking whether the guidance had already gone out, in the hope of letting the duke and duchess know ahead of the media, and for the team to have the chance to clarify one or two points.
Meanwhile, Harry, who was pictured at Tower Bridge Studios in London in an Instagram post by the recording studios on Monday, was in a meeting and could not be contacted until 3.09pm when he was told a letter had been drafted and his team were seeking guidance on whether it had been distributed. Team Sussex then received confirmation at 3.11pm it had already been sent to the media.
It’s understood that Harry and Meghan are worried that the timing of the letter may be linked to a meeting related to their security arrangements.
However, palace sources insist that Harry and Meghan received the letter sent at the King’s request before it was released publicly, but were not consulted on its contents. They added that the letter was unrelated to security or any meeting with Ravec.
The Duke lost his taxpayer-funded security after stepping down as a working royal and moving to the US.
He has spent years fighting the decision through the courts and has been lobbying the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood.
The couple returned to the UK a fortnight ago with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and have continued pushing for armed security amid concerns about their safety on the school run.
Harry previously said he “could not see a world” in which he brought his wife and children back to the UK after they lost their automatic right to taxpayer-funded police protection when he and Meghan stepped down as working royals.
A crunch meeting by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) – the Home Office body responsible for decisions on royal security – is expected to take place soon to discuss if the Sussexes are eligible for taxpayer-funded security.
Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 and subsequently moved across the Atlantic, where they had built a new life in California. Their surprise return to the UK came after years of strained relationships with the wider Royal Family.
The disclosure of the private behind-the-scenes dealings is likely to fuel speculation of tension between the Sussexes and the Royal Household, just two weeks after Harry and Meghan returned to the UK.
In the run up to the Sussexes’ return to Britain, the King was said to be glad to be able to spend more time with the family, but remained adamant they would not be working royals and there was no half-in, half-out option.
But the letter issued yesterday makes clear the Duke and Duchess do not use their HRH styles and any operational security issues involving them should be directed to the relevant police authorities.
A royal source said: “Timing is everything. Harry and Meghan have only been in the country a matter of days but this important line has been drawn early, leaving no one in any doubt where his feelings lie on the matter.
“Undoubtedly there will be clashes in the future with the Sussexes, no one expects them to give the royal households the courtesy of their plans, and even less so now. But the King could not be clearer. You may have come back to the UK, but you are on your own.”
The letter on behalf of the King sets out: “Following the decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to relocate to the UK, we have received a number of requests for guidance. To help avoid doubt or confusion, the King has directed that the following information be shared.
“It is well known that in January 2020 the Duke and Duchess stepped down from undertaking representative duties on behalf of the Sovereign, and are no longer working members of The Royal Family.
“This position, distinct from the state and royal duties undertaken by the working Royal Family, and with the personal latitude it brings the couple in respect of financial independence and protection of their privacy as they would wish, will continue to be fully respected.
“It follows that there is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Their styles as His and Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used.
“The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity. In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.”
Meghan is reportedly expected to carry out some public charity work in the UK in the coming weeks with Harry expected to start his public appearances a lot sooner.
Later this month, he is due to appear at the annual WellChild Awards and events for the Invictus Games and he will also carry out a skydive for military charities after making a promise to 102-year-old veteran Ed Marshall during a visit to Toronto, Canada, last November.
The couple’s children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are expected to be starting school in the UK near to the family’s reported countryside retreat in the Cotswolds. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the private correspondence.
