- King Charles issued a letter clarifying that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down from representative duties in January 2020 and are no longer working members of The Royal Family.
- The letter states that following the couple's decision to relocate to the U.K., The King directed that guidance be shared to avoid doubt or confusion.
- Palace sources told the BBC that Harry's team, government departments, military officials, and lord lieutenants received the guidance.
- The BBC reported that the couple's team received the letter about an hour before it was shared with the media, and by the time Harry was reached, the letter was almost published.
- The team reached Harry, who had been in a meeting, at 3:09 P.M., and at 3:11 P.M. learned that the letter had been sent out to media.
- Sources close to the couple told People that their team got the letter at 1:59 P.M. London time and sent back questions 20 minutes later, including whether the guidance had already been circulated.
- Royal sources told the BBC that the couple were made aware of the letter before it was sent, but their surprise came from the lack of time given to them to respond.
King Charles has clarified the status of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as non-working royals in a letter that has drawn mixed reactions from the couple's representatives. The letter, which was sent to various officials, including government departments and military representatives, emphasizes that Harry and Meghan stepped down from royal duties in January 2020 and are no longer working members of the Royal Family.1256
The letter states, “Their styles as His and Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used”, indicating that the couple's royal titles are not in active use. It further explains that their charitable work is a personal matter, undertaken in a private capacity, akin to that of private citizens with commercial interests.
However, the couple's representatives expressed surprise at the timing of the letter. According to reports, “Harry and Meghan were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance”. Their team received the letter at 1:59 P.M. London time, just an hour before it was made public, leading to concerns about the “lack of time given to them to respond”. By the time Harry was contacted, the letter was already on the verge of publication, causing further frustration.789
The palace's communication aims to clarify the couple's status amidst ongoing public interest and speculation regarding their roles and responsibilities within the royal framework.
“The couple's team received the letter about an hour before it was shared with media, and Harry was reached at 3:09 P.M. after being in a meeting. Palace sources say the guidance was sent to Harry's team, government departments, military officials, and lord lieutenants.”
elle.com
