King Charles Issues Letter About Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Royal Status After Their U.K. Return

Simon PerryMon, September 7, 2026 at 4:04 PM UTC

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King Charles on July 14, 2021; Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on August 7, 2026Credit: Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty; Vito Amati/The David Foster Foundation via Getty -

King Charles has directed that formal guidance be issued reaffirming that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle remain non-working members of the royal family following their return to the U.K.

The letter was issued after a “number of requests” for clarity and was also shared with the Duke of Sussex’s team

The letter reiterates that Harry and Meghan’s HRH styles remain in abeyance and their office will continue to operate separately from the Royal Household

King Charles is reaffirming that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are not working royals, despite their recent return to the U.K.

On Monday, Sept. 7, the King, 77, directed that a letter of guidance be issued to senior officials across the U.K. government, military and Lord Lieutenancies reiterating that there is “no change” to the status of Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, following their move back to Britain.

The guidance comes after a “number of requests” for clarity about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex following their return. It was issued by the Lord Chamberlain, Lord Benyon, at the King’s direction and was also shared with the Duke of Sussex’s team.

“To help avoid doubt or confusion, The King has directed that the following information be shared,” the letter states.

The couple relocated to Britain in August ahead of their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, starting school. It’s believed they are staying in a private home outside London.

Palace insiders point out that the letter does not represent a new policy. Rather, it reiterates the terms agreed when Harry and Meghan stepped back from their roles as working members of the royal family in 2020 and is in keeping with the Sussex family’s stated desire to remain private citizens while in the U.K.

The arrangement stems from the so-called “Sandringham Summit” of January 2020, when the terms of Harry and Meghan’s departure from their roles as working members of the royal family were concluded at a meeting headed by the late Queen Elizabeth.

The clarification comes as Harry prepares to undertake a series of charitable engagements that were planned well ahead of his and Meghan’s return to the U.K. He is expected to attend events associated with some of the charities and causes he supports, including the Invictus Games. The next iteration of the Games will take place in Birmingham, England, in July 2027.

Over the weekend, it was also reported that Meghan is looking to re-engage with some of the causes and charities she was associated with when she was a working member of the royal family.

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The letter makes clear, however, that any such charitable work is undertaken in a private capacity and does not signal a return to royal duties.

The letter, released to PEOPLE and other media on Sept. 7, reads:

“Following the decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to relocate to the UK, we have received a number of requests for Guidance. To help avoid doubt or confusion, The King has directed that the following information be shared.

“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.

“It follows that there is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Their styles as His and Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used. 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.”

The letter also addresses the issue of security, which has been at the center of Harry’s years-long battle over the protection afforded to him and his family when they are in the U.K.

“Any specific questions from official and State organisations about the courtesies which should be extended to the Duke and Duchess, and particularly where recourse to public funds may be required, should be directed to Buckingham Palace,” it states. “Any operational security issues should continue to be directed to the relevant Police authorities.”

The wider issue of a framework for security provision remains for RAVEC, the U.K. body responsible for determining protective security, to decide.

The letter concludes by drawing a further distinction between the Sussexes and the Royal Household: “All correspondence and administrative questions relating to the couple should be sent directly to their office, which will continue to operate separately from The Royal Household.”

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