Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have indicated that they would rather be described as “public figures” than “private citizens”, after King Charles made clear that they remain non-working members of the Royal Family.
The dispute follows a letter issued on the King’s behalf by Lord Chamberlain Lord Benyon on Monday, September 7, to senior figures across the Government, armed forces and the country’s Lord Lieutenancies. It was intended to remove uncertainty over how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should be treated after returning to the UK.
The letter stated that the couple’s position was “akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests” and reiterated that they were not returning as working royals. Their HRH styles remain in abeyance and any charitable activity is carried out in a private capacity. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/459d1117db5b2ce105cb315e7403fc4d?utm_source=openai))
However, people close to the Sussexes have briefed that Harry objected to the description of the couple as private citizens. They are understood to prefer the term “public figures”, while maintaining that they remain members of the Royal Family in a personal capacity despite no longer receiving public funding.
The response has revived questions over whether the couple’s preferred model of retaining royal connections while pursuing commercial interests could ever operate alongside the formal privileges and expectations associated with the monarchy.
Sussexes say they were caught off guard
A spokesman for the Sussexes suggested that they had been given only limited notice of the Palace’s announcement and had not been allowed sufficient time to respond to its contents.
According to the account from their side, the letter was shared with the couple’s representatives at 1.59pm on Monday. A reply was sent at 2.19pm in the hope that Harry and Meghan would be given an opportunity to clarify “one or two points”.
Harry was visiting Tower Bridge Studios in London and, it was claimed, could not be contacted until 3.09pm. His representatives were then told at 3.11pm that the letter had already been sent to the media five minutes earlier.
The Palace has declined to comment, taking the view that the letter speaks for itself. The King’s message was presented as a clarification of the arrangements agreed at the Sandringham summit in 2020, rather than a change in the couple’s status.
It confirmed that Harry and Meghan remain members of the Royal Family but do not undertake official duties on the monarch’s behalf. Their return to Britain has not altered the position established after they stepped back from royal duties and moved to the United States. ([cbsnews.com](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/king-charles-prince-harry-meghan-private-citizens-uk-return/?utm_source=openai))
Sources close to the Sussexes have also suggested that the timing of the letter was linked to a meeting of the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, known as Ravec, which considers security arrangements for senior royals and other prominent figures.
They believe the announcement may have been intended to influence the committee’s consideration of whether Harry should regain taxpayer-funded protection in the UK. The committee, however, is responsible for making its own security assessment, and the Palace’s letter does not determine its decision. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/9b8198a3f644b328f64d8798f536094d?utm_source=openai))
People close to the King have rejected the suggestion that the letter was timed to affect the security process. They said it was issued to provide clarity ahead of a busy programme for Harry and Meghan, while also potentially making it easier for the King to meet his son privately.
The Sussexes’ spokesman was approached for comment on the Palace’s position.
