King Charles clarifies status of Prince Harry and Meghan after their return to UK

Prince Harry has been seen for the first time since moving back to the UK with his wife and children as King Charles issued a firm directive about their status as non-working royals.

King Charles sent a letter to the Sussexes, which was also shared with senior military and government officials, confirming Prince Harry and Meghan are private citizens who will not undertake royal duties on behalf of the monarchy.

They must not use their HRH titles, restating the advice first set out by the late Queen Elizabeth II when the couple left their royal roles in 2020 for a new life in the United States. The family had been living in California and will reportedly keep their Montecito mansion.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are now living in the UK and the children will begin at a local school this week.

The advice from Buckingham Palace came following “a number of requests for guidance” about the couple’s situation following their return to Britain in late August, ending speculation about their roles.

It was written by Lord Benyon, the Lord Chamberlain, representing the royal household, but the letter states that its information was shared on the direction of King Charles.

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The letter outlines that there has been “no change” to Prince Harry and Meghan’s status and that their HRH titles will “remain in abeyance” and are “not used”.

Lord Benyon wrote: “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. 

“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.”

Prince Harry and Meghan’s private office would “continue to operate separately from the Royal Household” and any requests for the Sussexes should be sent to them directly.

Regarding Prince Harry’s long-running battle to have his taxpayer-funded police security reinstated in the UK, any questions regarding “operational security issues” should be directed to “the relevant police authorities”, the lord chamberlain said.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left their places as senior working royals in 2020 and came to an agreement with the late queen, the then-Prince Charles and Prince William following a high-stakes meeting at Sandringham, the private estate of the monarch in Norfolk.

It had been made clear to Prince Harry and Meghan that there could be no “half-in, half-out” arrangement.

Any financial endeavours they pursue has to be done separately from the royal family.

However, in the years since, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have carried out quasi-royal visits to Australia, Nigeria and Colombia combining commercial and charity events.

Meghan took part in a paid speaking event in Sydney, where she was promoted as being “the Duchess of Sussex”, causing anger around the use of their royal titles.

Last year, a note written by Meghan to a friend exposed she had breached that agreement. It read, “With the compliments of HRH the Duchess of Sussex”, revealing Meghan and Harry had continued to use their royal prefixes in private.

Prince Harry and Meghan retain their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children, Archie and Lilibet, remain a prince and princess because their grandfather is the monarch.

The Sussexes, and their children, reunited with King Charles at his Highgrove estate on July 10 during a brief holiday to the UK.

Prince Harry and Meghan later informed the monarch of their plans to move back to Britain, where they are expected to carry out charity work.

For now, the couple will focus on getting their children settled in school before they make a gradual return to the spotlight, supporting charities they had connections with during their time as working royals.

Prince Harry will continue his work with the Invictus Games and his remaining patronages including WellChild and Scotty’s Little Soldiers.

Meghan is “thinking about plans for how she can get more involved and support the causes she was supporting and was passionate about again, and new causes too,” a source close to the duchess told The Sunday Times.

The duchess previously supported Smart Works, a charity that helps vulnerable women return to the workforce. The charity was one of four patronages Meghan took on after her marriage in 2018, but the only one she retained after moving to the US.

Prince Harry seen for the first time since return

The Duke of Sussex was seen for the first time since arriving back in Britain, attending private event at a recording studio.

Prince Harry visited Tower Bridge Studios, in London, where he was seen signing its visitor wall in photos shared on Instagram.

“Thank you Prince Harry for choosing Tower Bridge Studios! It was an absolute pleasure to have you in our studios and signing our wall. We look forward to welcoming you back again.”

Photos were posted on Instagram by Tower Bridge Studios on Monday (early Tuesday morning in Australia), hours after the king’s letter was made public.

It’s not known what the duke was doing there or why. According to reports, Harry was there on Friday, September 4 working on a mystery project, accompanied by a group of men.

Prince Harry has taken part in a number of podcasts recently including Joe Marler Will See You Now, where he listed his occupations as a “full-time dad, British Army veteran, Prince of England, and duke”.