Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have expressed surprise over a letter issued on behalf of King Charles III reaffirming that they remain non-working members of the British Royal Family.
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said the couple were surprised that they had not been informed earlier about the letter, which was sent on Monday by the Lord Chamberlain, a senior Palace official.
The spokesperson said they “were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance”.
However, royal sources said Harry and Meghan were made aware of the correspondence before it was released publicly.
The letter was sent to Harry’s representatives, government departments, military officials and Lord Lieutenants, who serve as the monarch’s representatives across the UK.
It reaffirmed the arrangement reached in 2020, when Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties and relocated to the United States.
Under the arrangement, the couple are not permitted to use the styles “His Royal Highness” and “Her Royal Highness” and remain private citizens.
Their charitable activities are also considered personal endeavours rather than official royal engagements.
The letter 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”.
It added: “The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity”.
The correspondence is seen as an effort by the Palace to ensure that Harry and Meghan’s future public appearances in Britain are not interpreted as official engagements on behalf of the Royal Family.
The couple returned to the UK with their children, Archie and Lilibet, last month and are expected to undertake charity-related activities in the coming months.
Harry is expected to continue supporting causes including the Invictus Games, which are scheduled to take place in Birmingham next year, while Meghan has reportedly been considering a return to acting.
Meanwhile, the couple’s security arrangements are also under review.
The Royal and VIP Executive Committee, known as Ravec, is expected to meet this week to consider the level of taxpayer-funded protection that should be provided to the Sussexes now that they are living in the UK.
Harry has previously raised concerns about the adequacy of his police protection in Britain.
The Home Office declined to comment on the committee’s deliberations, saying: “The UK government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security”.
On security responsibilities, the King’s letter said: “Any operational security issues should continue to be directed to the relevant police authorities.”
Although the Sussexes were given sight of the letter before its publication, they reportedly had only about an hour to review it before it was shared with the media.
By the time Harry’s team attempted to contact him, the letter was understood to have been close to publication.
