HARRY and Meghan said they were “surprised” by the King’s bombshell letter stating they are not working royals after their return to the UK.
In his strongly worded letter, the King said the Sussexes position in the UK is “akin to private citizens”, adding that Harry and Meghan will not be working royals.
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The couple’s spokesperson has now claimed that they were blindsided by the letter and were not told in advance.
However, the Daily Mail reports that Harry and Meghan had seen the letter before it was released publicly but weren’t.
Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45, are also said to have been concerned about the timing of the King’s letter.
The guidance was issued ahead of a meeting of the royal and VIP Executive Committee [Ravec], which will decide if the couple are entitled to state security.
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Prince Harry was seen in public for the first time since returning to the UK yesterday – attending a podcast studio in central London.
Both he and Meghan will soon begin public engagements and are pushing for 24/7 police protection.
The Home Office committee responsible for deciding if they are entitled to royal security are meeting is understood to be meeting as early as today.
A spokesperson for the Sussexes said: “We were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance.”
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It comes after The Sun’s world exclusive revealing that Harry and Meghan were returning to the UK with their children earlier this month.
Issuing guidance on the couple’s return yesterday, the King said: “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.”
We previously reported that the Duchess of Sussex will be “rekindling” her work with UK charities as she starts life back in Britain.
The couple are understood to be trying to iron out a new “fair” structure for coverage of their engagements and public work.
Though, they withdrew from the Royal Rota system in 2020 they will continue to take on public facing engagements and charity work.
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Meghan is already planning ways to support new causes alongside ones she previously worked with, friends said.
Friends of the couple said they “trying to avoid being spotted” while they focus on settling their two children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, before school starts, however.
King Charles has publicly reaffirmed Megxit
By Matt Wilkinson, Royal Editor
KING Charles has done more than publically reaffirm the terms of Megxit – he has made clear to everyone who is in charge.
Harry and Meghan have returned to Britain but the Sandringham Agreement of 2020 still stands and they remain private individuals with no official working royal status.
Apart from their geographical location, nothing has changed.
But Charles needed to intervene as they will soon begin public engagements which will attract with a blitz of attention and people need to know how to treat them.
Now the public have been reminded there are working royal roles such as Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, Anne, Edward and Sophie, which come with responsibilities.
Then we have the non-working royals which include Mike and Zara Tindall, Peter Philips, Beatrice and Eugenie, and now, this is where we find Harry and Meghan.
They are not the King and Queen. They are not the Prince and Princess of Wales. They gave up their right to be on that level when they stepped down and jetted to the US on a ‘freedom flight’.
So much time has passed people should rightly be forgiven for being confused about the Sussexes status or forgotten what was agreed in January 2020.
It’s a gentle and diplomatic reminder to local authorities, government and military chiefs of the Sussexes status and how they should be treated if they make any diva demands on their return.
But it is also a reminder to Harry and Meghan and comes as a welcome confirmation of who is the boss.