Harry and Meghan 'surprised' by king's letter on royal status

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were surprised to receive a formal letter sent Monday from King Charles clarifying their status as non-working members of the Royal Family who remain barred from using "His and Her Royal Highness" titles, according to reports on Tuesday.

Palace letter restates Sandringham terms

The correspondence, dispatched Monday afternoon by the lord chamberlain on behalf of the monarch, was sent to the couple's team alongside government departments, military officials, and lord lieutenants — the monarch's local representatives — as well as staff involved in organizing royal visits and engagements. The document explicitly restated the terms of the 2020 Sandringham Agreement, ruling out any "half-in and half-out" arrangement that would permit commercial interests alongside official duties.

"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 stated. It added: "The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity."

Conflicting accounts on timing

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess told the BBC the couple "were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance," while royal sources said the couple was notified before the announcement was made public, according to the report.

The communication comes after the Sussexes returned to the UK on August 26 with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, six years after stepping away from senior royal roles and relocating to California. The visit marked their first joint appearance in Britain since the couple established their new life in the United States under the terms agreed at Sandringham.