Buckingham Palace confirms Prince Harry, Meghan remain non-working royals

Buckingham Palace has formally confirmed that Prince Harry and Meghan will remain non-working royals without His and Her Royal Highness titles, issuing a letter to government officials that reinforces the terms established when the couple stepped back from duties in 2020. The correspondence, sent on behalf of King Charles by the Lord Chamberlain, was distributed to Prince Harry's representatives, military officials and lord lieutenants who coordinate royal engagements, according to palace sources.

It emphasized that the Sussexes retain their status as private citizens and are prohibited from using the HRH style, the BBC reported.

Sandringham Agreement provisions

The letter underscored that the Sandringham Agreement reached in January 2020 continues to govern the couple's position, explicitly ruling out any "half-in and half-out" arrangement that would allow them to pursue commercial interests while retaining working royal status. "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 communication stated.

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

Family returns to UK

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex — the former actress Meghan Markle — arrived in the United Kingdom on Aug. 26 with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, marking their first return as a family since departing for California six years ago. The couple established their new residence in Montecito, California, in 2020 following a high-profile departure from senior royal duties that sparked extensive public debate about the future structure of the British monarchy.