King Charles wanted to make Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s position in Britain clear after their return to the country. One phrase in the resulting guidance has instead opened another disagreement.
A letter sent by the Lord Chamberlain at the King’s direction described the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as being “akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.” It did not remove their Duke and Duchess titles or create a new arrangement. The letter reaffirmed that they remain non-working members of the Royal Family and will continue not to use their HRH styles.
A source told Us Weekly that the couple’s return to Britain had created concern that their public activities could be mistaken for official royal work. “They can’t be one foot in and one foot out,” the source said.
Sources close to Harry and Meghan are not arguing that the couple have returned as working royals. Their objection is to the description of them as private citizens. “They are public figures,” a source told PEOPLE, pointing to the couple’s continuing international profile.
Charles Wanted to Avoid Confusion Over Their Royal Role
The letter was issued by Lord Chamberlain Richard Benyon, the Royal Household’s most senior official, after Harry and Meghan moved back to Britain with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
It was sent to senior figures across government, the military and the lieutenancy network. The letter said Charles had directed that the guidance be shared “to help avoid doubt or confusion.”
The document restated the arrangement in place since Harry and Meghan stepped away from official royal duties in 2020. Their charitable work is undertaken in a private capacity rather than on behalf of the monarch, and they remain financially independent from the working Royal Family.
“In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests,” the letter said, according to Reuters.
Questions from official bodies about courtesies or public funding connected to Harry and Meghan were also directed back to Buckingham Palace. The guidance did not prevent either of them from continuing their charitable, commercial or public work.
Harry and Meghan’s Camp Says They Remain Public Figures
Sources close to the Sussexes have challenged the idea that their lives resemble those of ordinary private citizens.
“The idea that they can live a normal, ‘private’ life is sadly not realistic,” the source close to the couple told PEOPLE. Harry and Meghan remain globally recognizable, and both continue to appear publicly through charity work, business projects and media ventures.
The wording has particular significance for Harry because his security in Britain has been a long-running issue. His legal battles over police protection have centered in part on the risks he says accompany his public profile and family connections.
The Palace letter did not determine what protection Harry, Meghan or their children will receive. It stated that operational security decisions belong to the relevant police and government authorities.
Reuters reported that the government committee responsible for protection arrangements was preparing to consider the family’s security following their return to Britain.
The Sussexes Had Little Time to Respond Before the Letter Became Public
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Harry and Meghan were also surprised by how the guidance was released.
Their team received the contents shortly before the letter was distributed to the media. Reuters reported that a spokesperson for the couple said they were “a little surprised” not to have been told about it earlier.
The Associated Press reported that the Sussex team received the letter just over an hour before its public release. The document was then circulated as formal guidance to officials as well as made available to news organizations.
The timing came while questions about the family’s police protection were already receiving renewed attention following their return to Britain. The Palace has maintained that security arrangements are handled separately from Harry and Meghan’s status as non-working royals.
Harry Is Already Returning to a Busy Public Schedule
Harry’s upcoming calendar shows that stepping away from royal duties has not meant stepping away from public work.
He is due to attend the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards this month and will travel to Birmingham for another Invictus event involving veterans and students. PEOPLE reported that he will also attend the WellChild Awards, an event he has supported repeatedly since becoming the charity’s patron in 2007.
Those appearances are charitable engagements carried out in Harry’s own capacity rather than as a representative of Charles or the Crown.
He will then travel to New York for the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting on September 22 and 23. It will be Harry’s second appearance at the gathering after previously taking part in 2024.