Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s recent return to Britain after years away has already prompted several controversies, with a latest royal letter stirring even more drama.
Just days after settling back in the UK, the couple faced a formal clarification from King Charles III, who made his position clear on his son and daughter-in-law’s status in the country.
Highlights
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s UK return has already been met with an unexpected royal development.
- The Sussexes reportedly weren’t expecting King Charles’ latest announcement to unfold the way it did.
- Harry and Meghan’s homecoming has also proved more complicated than they initially expected, according to multiple reports.
Just hours later, Harry and Meghan issued a response that appears to have added another layer of tension to their already complicated relationship with the Palace.
King Charles issued a letter making it clear the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain private citizens during their stay in the UK
Harry and Meghan returned to the UK with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, on August 26, after spending several years in California.
The move marked a major change for the Sussexes, who stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and later settled in the United States.
Their return, however, was not presented as a return to working royal life.
Instead, the family reportedly wanted to establish a longer-term base in Britain while maintaining their independence from the monarchy.
Their children’s education has also shaped the timing of the move, with Archie and Lilibet beginning the British school year.
Harry also continues to have connections to the UK through his charitable commitments, including his involvement with the Invictus Games.
The couple’s return nevertheless raised questions about exactly how they would fit into the royal landscape after years away.
On Monday, September 7, King Charles III directed his Lord Chamberlain, Lord Benyon, to circulate a letter clarifying Harry and Meghan’s official position.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were “a little surprised” the Palace had not told them about the King’s letter beforehand
The letter was reportedly sent to more than 100 senior stakeholders, including government departments, military officials, and other figures who could potentially be involved in royal engagements.
The King reinforced that Harry and Meghan would continue to be non-working royals, would not be permitted to use their “HRH” titles, and would remain “private citizens.”
The letter also clarified that any engagements Harry and Meghan undertake would not represent the British Royal Family.
According to the BBC, the letter stated, “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.”
It also emphasized that any questions organizations may have about how the couple should be received, “particularly where recourse to public funds may be required, should be directed to Buckingham Palace.”
Now, according to the Daily Mail, rather than welcoming the clarification, Harry and Meghan reportedly expressed surprise over how the announcement was handled.
A spokesperson for the couple told the outlet, “We were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance.”
That response became another source of tension because accounts differed over how much notice the Sussexes had actually received.
Harry and Meghan returned to the UK with their two children after years of living in California
According to reports, Harry’s team received the letter electronically at 1:59 p.m. on September 7.
Around 20 minutes later, the team reportedly responded to the Palace with questions and asked whether the guidance had already been distributed.
Harry was reportedly in a meeting and was not reached until shortly after the letter was made public.
Palace sources, however, disputed the suggestion that the couple had been blindsided.
They said the letter had been shared with Harry’s team before publication for transparency and insisted its release was not connected to the ongoing security dispute.
Notably, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, known as RAVEC, was also expected to review the family’s security arrangements around the same time.
Harry’s team has reportedly been concerned that publicly emphasizing the couple’s status as private citizens could affect how police consider their request for protection.
The royal clarification is not the only reported complication surrounding Harry and Meghan’s new life in Britain.
Reports also claim the couple has struggled to hire household staff, with some insiders allegedly reluctant to work for Meghan because of her reputation among private household employees.
Reports of household-staff troubles could make the non-working royal couple’s return even more complicated
According to sources who spoke to Page Six, the former actress’s alleged treatment of household-staff applicants during her previous time in Britain left a negative impression among some people in the industry.
One source alleged that Meghan was “extremely rude” during interviews.
“This happened with enough people that word absolutely got around among household staff,” the source claimed.
Another source alleged that there was concern “among household staff about Harry and Meghan coming back to the UK,” adding that Meghan had developed a reputation for being “very dismissive and rude to staff.”
The source added, “People remember how they were treated, and there are a lot of people who simply would not want to put themselves in that position and work for her now.”
The couple’s move to the UK came shortly after King Charles met his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, for the first time in four years, when the Sussexes visited him in July this year.
However, despite the reunion and subsequent homecoming, a former royal staff member recently dismissed any possibility that Harry would simply be welcomed back into the fold.
Dickie Arbiter, former press secretary to the Royal Family, told the Daily Express, “You can’t just waltz back into a country and expect everything, everybody to roll over. It’s never going to be the same as it was; there is always going to be that element of mistrust.”
“It looks like it has somewhat ruined their plans… They are just exchanging surprises, guess it's the King's turn this time!” joked one netizen
