The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were reportedly taken aback by King Charles’s official letter confirming their status as “private citizens,” and claimed they had insufficient notice to raise any queries before the guidance was released to the press.
King Charles instructed the Lord Chamberlain, the most senior official in the Royal Household, to draft correspondence for key Government and military figures outlining the couple’s status. This letter was made public to journalists at 3:06pm on Monday.
It is understood that Harry and Meghan’s representatives were informed of the letter’s contents nearly an hour earlier, at 1:59pm. Team Sussex responded to Buckingham Palace at 2:19pm, enquiring whether the guidance had already been distributed, hoping to advise the Duke and Duchess before the press announcement and seeking clarification on specific points.
During this time, Prince Harry, who was attending a meeting at Tower Bridge Studios in London-as shown in an Instagram post shared by the studio that day-was unreachable until 3:09pm. It was then he learned that the correspondence had been prepared, and his team were trying to confirm whether it had been circulated.
Team Sussex received confirmation at 3:11pm that the letter had already been distributed to the media. A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said: “We were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance.”
The disclosure of these private discussions is likely to fuel ongoing speculation about tensions between the Sussexes and the Royal Household, coming just two weeks after the couple returned to Britain.
According to The Telegraph, the Sussexes prefer to be described as “public figures” and had hoped for recognition that they remain part of the Royal family.
The correspondence surfaced ahead of a scheduled meeting this week of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), the body responsible for Royal security arrangements. However, sources indicate that the meeting is not set for Tuesday.
Prince Harry is awaiting the outcome of the Risk Management Board’s threat assessment, with Ravec expected to decide whether the Sussex household should be granted state-funded protection now that they have returned to the UK.
The letter from Lord Benyon reiterated King Charles’s position, outlined in August when Harry and Meghan announced their return, that there would be no change to their standing as private individuals and non-working members of the Royal family.
It stated: “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.”
The Sussexes stepped down as working Royals in 2020 amid the so-called “Megxit” crisis and relocated to the United States to pursue a life of personal and financial independence.
However, the couple has now moved back to the UK for an “extended period,” enrolling their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in British schools. There are also rumours that Meghan Markle intends to resume acting while based in the country.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the private correspondence.