King Charles has made his position on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal status clear after their U.K. return.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not return as working royals or carry out official engagements in the UK, according to a letter sent on behalf of King Charles.
According to the Daily Mail journalist, Rebecca English, “The King has laid out his position on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returning to the UK in a letter to ‘senior stakeholders’, including the government, military and Lord Lieutenancies, from his Lord Chamberlain.”
She added, “In it he makes clear that the ‘Sandringham agreement’ still stands - they are private individuals and are no longer working members of the Royal Family.”
The letter was issued to clarify the Sussexes’ status following their return to the UK with children Archie and Lilibet last month.
They will remain unable to use the “HRH” titles and are considered “private citizens with commercial and charitable interests,” according to a letter sent on the King’s behalf by the Lord Chamberlain.
Palace sources confirmed that the message was sent to Harry’s team and relevant government, military and Lord Lieutenant officials.
"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," the letter said.
"The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity," it further stated.
The letter said that official queries about courtesies or public funding should be directed to Buckingham Palace, while security matters should go to police.
It added that administrative correspondence concerning the couple will continue to be handled by their separate office.
Prince Harry Meghan Markle U.K. return
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have returned to the UK with their two children for an extended stay, six years after stepping down as working royals.
The Sussexes arrived at Birmingham Airport on August 26, 2026, with private security instead of taxpayer-funded protection.
