World
King Charles learned of Harry, Meghan’s UK return days before arrival: What happened
Prince Harry and Meghan’s UK return comes as King Charles confirms the Sussexes will remain private citizens without official royal duties.
FULL ARTICLE · The Indian Express World
4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Sep 10, 2026 01:45 PM IST
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are preparing to return to the UK with their children after six years in California. (AP File)
King Charles III has reaffirmed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle remain non-working members of the Royal Family and private citizens, even as the Sussexes return to Britain. The clarification came even as ABC News claimed that the King learned about the couple’s plans to relocate to the UK only days before they were made public,
In a letter sent on the King’s behalf by the Lord Chamberlain, Charles reaffirmed that Harry and Meghan are no longer working members of the Royal Family and remain private citizens with commercial and charitable interests. Their HRH styles remain in abeyance and are not to be used.
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said the couple were surprised to see a letter sent on behalf of King Charles clarifying that Prince Harry and Meghan remained non-working royals, the BBC reported. The spokesperson said the couple, who have recently moved back to the UK, “were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance”.
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Royal Family · UK
Harry & Meghan's return to England
What changes for the Sussexes?
The Duke & Duchess of Sussex
Back in the UK after six years — five things that changed, and five that didn't
File photo: Harry, Meghan, King Charles and Camilla at Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral, Sept 19, 2022. Photo: AP
01
Royal duties
Not working royals
Harry and Meghan will not carry out official royal engagements.
Titles: Harry and Meghan cannot use His/Her Royal Highness.
02
When did Charles know?
Harry told Charles first
August 16: Harry reportedly informed King Charles of their plans.
August 26: The Sussexes arrived in Birmingham.
03
Where will they live?
A private home near London
The couple are reportedly planning to live in a private, non-royal residence.
California — main home
Portugal — holiday property
Frogmore Cottage: Vacated in 2023
04
What about US citizenship?
Harry is not a US citizen
Harry has lived in the US for six years but is not known to have obtained citizenship.
His view: "Not a high priority" right now.
Meghan: US citizen, born in California.
05
Will they get UK security?
Still unclear
The Sussexes currently use privately funded security. Harry challenged the UK government over his security arrangements.
Appeal:Lost
Bottom takeaway
- Royal dutiesNO
- Private UK homeYES
- US citizenshipNOT YET
- Government-funded securityUNCERTAIN
Source: CNN; Hello! Magazine; ABC News; Newsweek; Global News/AP/CBS/PBS (security ruling, May 2, 2025). Sept 2026. Some details on the couple's UK residence are reported but not officially confirmed.
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But royal sources say Prince Harry and Meghan were made aware of the letter, sent on Monday afternoon, before it was made public, the report added.
Harry and Meghan’s ‘Megxit’ from royal duties
Harry and Meghan, who got married in 2018, announced in January 2020 that they were stepping away from their royal duties when the couple left England for the United States. King Charles’ letter emphasised the fact and stated, “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.”
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Where will Harry and Meghan live in England?
The Sussexes have returned to Britain with their children after spending several years in California. They are reportedly planning to live in a private, non-royal residence, although details of their permanent UK home have not been confirmed.
(AI-generated image)
The Sussexes no longer have Frogmore Cottage as their UK residence. They were asked to vacate the Windsor property in 2023, after which they continued to base their family in California.
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Why has Harry not taken US citizenship?
During the six years Harry lived in the United States, he is not known to have obtained his US citizenship. In 2025, the US Department of Homeland Security released documents that showed Prince Harry didn’t receive any favourable treatment in the process of obtaining the US visa. However, Harry, in an interview with ABC News in 2024, said he was considering getting his US citizenship.
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“American citizenship is a thought that has crossed my mind, but certainly is not something that is a high priority for me right now,” Harry said at the time. Notably, Meghan is a US national and was born in California.
Will Harry and Meghan get UK security?
Harry and Meghan’s security arrangements have not been disclosed till now, and it remains to be seen whether the royal couple will receive government-funded security as they return to England. Currently, the Sussexes have a privately funded security team since they moved to the US, ABC News reported.
(AI-generated image)
Last year, Prince Harry challenged the UK government’s move to reduce his publicly funded security following the couple’s decision to leave royal duties, but the Duke of Sussex lost the appeal.
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