Harry and Meghan have reacted after the Royal Household sent a letter clarifying their official status as non working royals.
The King, in a letter sent on Monday, reiterated that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain private citizens despite their return to the UK. The letter instructed the Lord Chamberlain to contact Government departments and the military following requests for guidance after Harry and Meghan returned last month.
A spokesperson for the Sussexes told the BBC that the pair “were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance.”
The broadcaster said that royal sources had told them the couple were made aware of the letter before it was made public.
open image in galleryThe Sussexes returned to the UK on 26 August after news earlier that month that they were enrolling their children, Archie and Lillibet, into British schools. In the run up to their return, 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.
The letter from royal aide Lord Benyon, whose office is responsible for organising the King’s ceremonial and public-facing events, said: “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.”
The broadcaster reported that the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC) would meet on Tuesday to look into tax payer funded security for the family.
open image in galleryA government spokesperson said: “The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.”
Prince Harry has had a strained relationship with his family since he and his wife announced in January 2020 that they wanted to step down as senior royals for a dual life, earning their own money in the US and supporting the monarch.
The couple headed to California and quit as senior working royals completely in March 2020, just as the Covid pandemic took hold. In 2021 they would do a television interview iwth talk show host Oprah Winfrey, while Prince Philip was ill in hospital, where they claimed an unnamed royal had made a racist remark about their son’s skin tone before he was born and said that the monarchy failed to help a suicidal Meghan.
Meghan also revealed it was Kate who made her cry at a bridesmaid dress fitting ahead of the Sussexes’ wedding, and that the Palace refused to correct the initial reports that it was the other way round.
open image in galleryThe late queen refused to play out the matter on a public stage, saying in a statement that the issues raised would be dealt with privately as a family, but that “some recollections may vary”.
The conflict played out further as Harry was denied the chance to wear military uniform at his grandmother’s funeral a year later as a non-working royal.
In the years that followed, the duke has carried out a smattering of visits to the UK. He attended the King’s coronation in 2023 – without Meghan – but the trip was a whirlwind one with the duke, who had no distinct role at the service, leaving immediately after to return to the US on what was Archie’s fourth birthday.
Harry’s pursuit of legal action against the Home Office over his security in the UK is said to have caused difficulties for the King as head of state, who was described at the time by the duke as having stopped taking his calls.
When Charles was diagnosed with cancer in 2024, Harry rushed to London to see him, but they spent less than 45 minutes together before the King left for Sandringham.
The Independent has contacted the Sussexes’ representative for comment.