Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s team was left in a tense 72-minute scramble on Monday.
The letter was revealed to the media at 3.06pm on Monday (Image: Getty)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s team was reportedly left in a tense, 72-minute scramble after receiving the letter confirming their non-working royal status. In the letter, King Charles made clear that Harry and Meghan remain non-working members of the Royal Family, despite their recent return to Britain. In formal guidance sent to senior Government figures, military representatives and Lord Lieutenancies on Monday, the King made clear that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex continue to be treated as “private citizens”, with the clarification intended to prevent any uncertainty over their position.
The letter was revealed to the media at 3.06pm on Monday and it is understood the contents were shared with the Sussexes’ team at 1.59pm. At 2.19pm, the Sussex team contacted Buckingham Palace to ask whether the guidance had already been circulated, in the hope of letting the Sussexes know ahead of the media, and for the team to have the chance to clarify one or two points.
A spokesman for the couple said they had been “a little surprised” (Image: Getty)
Harry was in a meeting in London at the time and could not immediately be reached until 3:09pm when he was told a letter had been drafted and his team were seeking guidance on whether it had been distributed.
Just two minutes later, at 3.11pm, the Sussex team was reportedly told that the guidance had already been sent to the media.
A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said: “We were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance.”
Palace sources told the Daily Mail that this was “incorrect”, stressing that the Sussexes’ team had received the letter before it was made public, although they were not consulted on its contents.
The Sussexes prefer the term “public figures” and would have liked an acknowledgement that they remain members of the royal family, The Telegraph reported.
Lord Benyon, the most senior official in the royal household, said in the letter: “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 Sussexes stepped down as working royals in 2020. The family is understood to have relocated to the UK for an “extended period” of time and it is heavily rumoured they are living in a non-royal residence in the Cotswolds.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the private correspondence