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Why Harry and Meghan were ‘surprised’ by King Charles’ letter on royal status
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved back to Britain with their children ast month, six years after stepping down from royal duties and moving to the US.
FULL ARTICLE · The Indian Express World
5 min readUpdated: Sep 8, 2026 06:48 PM IST
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly “surprised” by King Charles III’s letter confirming their status as non-working royals. (Wikimedia Commons)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, were “surprised” by a letter sent on behalf of King Charles III reiterating that they remain non-working members of the Royal Family following their return to the United Kingdom, news agency Reuters reported, citing a spokesperson for the couple.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved back to Britain with their children, Archie and Lilibet, last month, six years after stepping down from royal duties and moving to the United States.
The letter, authorised by the King and sent by the Lord Chamberlain on Monday, was circulated to senior government and military officials as well as Lord Lieutenants, the monarch’s representatives around the country. It clarified that there had been no change to Harry and Meghan’s status since they stepped back from official royal duties in 2020.
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, greets a girl as he visits the Royal Children’s Hospital along with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in Melbourne, Australia, April 14, 2026. (REUTERS)
Harry and Meghan ‘surprised’ by timing of letter
A spokesperson for the couple said they were “a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance”. Royal sources, however, said Harry and Meghan had been made aware of the letter before it was released publicly.
The BBC reported that the couple are understood to have seen the letter about an hour before it was shared with the media. Their surprise was believed to be over the limited time they had been given to respond.
The letter was sent “to help avoid doubt or confusion” over the couple’s position following their return to Britain, according to the Associated Press.
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Royal Family · UK
Why King Charles sent Harry and Meghan a letter — now
The letter changed nothing about their status. What's new is why the Palace felt it had to say so publicly.
The short answer
Harry and Meghan's status hasn't changed since 2020. The letter exists because their return to the UK last month triggered questions the Palace felt it needed to answer — formally, and in writing.
January 2020
Harry & Meghan step back
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stop undertaking official duties on behalf of the Sovereign and relocate to the United States.
August 26, 2026
The couple return to the UK
Six years on, Harry and Meghan relocate back to Britain with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Following the return
Palace receives requests for guidance
Government departments, military officials and Lord Lieutenants seek clarity on how to treat the couple now they're back on British soil.
Monday, September 7
Charles authorises the letter
Sent via the Lord Chamberlain to senior officials — "to help avoid doubt or confusion" about the Sussexes' status.
The result
Status reaffirmed: no change
Still non-working royals. Still private citizens. HRH styles still not used. Nothing here is new — it's just now official and public.
The couple's team says they were only informed shortly before the letter went out — and were "a little surprised" not to have had more notice, even though the contents were not new to them.
Source: Reuters; Washington Post; NBC News; letter text via Hello! Magazine, Sept 7-8, 2026.
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What the letter says about Harry and Meghan’s royal status
The letter repeats the arrangement agreed in 2020, when Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals. Under the agreement, they do not carry out official duties for the monarch, and their charity and business work is done privately.
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“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,” the letter said, according to the BBC.
It added that their position was “akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests”, Reuters reported.
The couple will also continue to refrain from using the styles of “His Royal Highness” and “Her Royal Highness”. Any engagements undertaken by them will be in a private capacity rather than on behalf of the Royal Family.
The clarification comes ahead of expected public appearances by the Sussexes as they settle in the UK and continue their charitable work. Harry is expected to remain involved with organisations including the Invictus Games, which are due to be held in Birmingham next year.
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Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the “Project Healthy Minds” World Mental Health Day Gala in New York City, US, October 9, 2025. (REUTERS)
Sussexes’ security arrangements under consideration
The question of taxpayer-funded security for Harry and Meghan is also under consideration following their return to Britain.
The Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), which determines security arrangements for royals and other public figures, is expected to meet this week to consider the level of protection the Sussexes should receive now that they are resident in the UK.
Harry has previously challenged the withdrawal of automatic publicly funded police protection after he stepped back from royal duties.
The letter said that “any operational security issues should continue to be directed to the relevant police authorities”.
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A Home Office spokesperson told the BBC that the UK government’s protective security system was “rigorous and proportionate”, adding that it does not provide detailed information about individual security arrangements because doing so could compromise their effectiveness.
(This article was curated by Aditi Anand, who is an intern with The Indian Express)
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