King Charles Issues Letter Clarifying Prince Harry and Meghan’s Non-Working Royal Status
A letter from King Charles, circulated on Monday, confirms that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will remain private citizens and not working members of the royal family, prompting a surprised response from their spokesperson.
King Charles issued a letter on Monday stating that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will continue to be treated as private citizens rather than working members of the royal family. The correspondence, prepared by Lord Benyon, the Lord Chamberlain, was released at the king’s direction after several inquiries about the couple’s status following their recent return to the United Kingdom.
According to a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the couple were "a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance," although they were informed of the letter before it became public. The team received the letter around 2 p.m. UK time, relayed the information to Prince Harry at 3:09 p.m., and learned that it had been circulated to the media at 3:11 p.m.
The letter reiterated that the Sussexes stepped down from official duties in January 2020 and that their royal styles remain in abeyance. Their charitable activities are described as personal and undertaken in a private capacity. The monarch also addressed security and administrative matters, directing official queries to Buckingham Palace and police authorities, and stating that correspondence should be handled by the couple’s separate office.
Harry and Meghan have recently moved back to the UK with their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, as the children prepare to start school.