A letter was written on behalf of King Charles III to clarify Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s status as royal family members amid their return to the United Kingdom.
“The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity,” read the letter written by senior officer of the royal household Lord Chamberlain, obtained by multiple outlets including Newsweek and NBC News. “In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.”
The letter continued, “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.”
The letter added that Harry, 41, and Meghan’s “styles as His and Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used.”
A Buckingham Palace source confirmed to the outlet that the letter was shared with Harry’s team on Monday, September 7.
Harry and Meghan, 45, stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and subsequently left the U.K. and moved to Montecito, California, with son Prince Archie, now 7. The following year, they welcomed daughter Princess Lilibet, 5.
Six years after their shocking move, Harry and Meghan surprised the world again after they decided to return to the U.K. with their children. Archie and Lilibet are scheduled to begin school there this month.
The pair are expected to keep their home in Montecito, as well as a vacation residence in Portugal.
A source told Us that Harry was “not as happy in the U.S. as he is in the U.K” and that he and Meghan are “open to a new chapter.”
Harry and Meghan were not expected to resume royal duties upon their return across the pond. The Duke of Sussex will be spending more time supporting multiple U.K.-based charities and patronages while Meghan is expected to continue running her As Ever brand overseas. Rumors swirled that Meghan was going to return to acting with a potential role in The Gentlemen season 3. However, nothing has been officially announced.
