‘haven’t been told’- Meghan Markle, Prince Harry officially address King Charles’ shocking move
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have issued their first official response after King Charles moved to formally clarify the couple’s position within the Royal Family following their return to Britain.
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex acknowledged that the Palace announcement caught their team off guard, saying: “We were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance.”
The brief statement is the first direct reaction attributed to Harry and Meghan since the King ordered guidance to be circulated outlining exactly how the Sussexes should now be regarded.
It came as Harry made one of his first public appearances since returning to the UK, visiting Tower Bridge Studios in London.
King Moves to End Confusion
The controversy began after senior royal correspondent Rebecca English reported that the King had set out his position in a letter sent through the Lord Chamberlain to “senior stakeholders,” including representatives from government, the military and Lord Lieutenancies.
According to English, the letter makes clear that the agreement reached when Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties remains in force.
“The King has laid out his position on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returning to the UK in a letter to ‘senior stakeholders’, including the government, military and Lord Lieutenancies, from his Lord Chamberlain,” she wrote.
“In it he makes clear that the ‘Sandringham agreement’ still stands – they are private individuals and are no longer working members of the Royal Family.”
The move followed renewed questions about Harry and Meghan’s status after they relocated to Britain with their children.
Their return had prompted speculation over whether greater proximity to the King could eventually lead to a more formal relationship with the working monarchy.
The Palace letter appears designed to remove that uncertainty.
Palace Says Existing Arrangement Still Stands
The King’s message reportedly begins by acknowledging that the Sussexes’ move back to the UK had created requests for clarification.
“Following the decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to relocate to the UK, we have received a number of requests for guidance,” the letter states.
“To help avoid doubt or confusion, The King has directed that the following information be shared.”
Charles then restated the arrangement established after Harry and Meghan’s departure from frontline royal life.
“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 therefore does not introduce a new royal status for the couple. Instead, it confirms that their return to Britain has not changed the position agreed more than six years earlier.
The King also addressed the freedoms that come with Harry and Meghan’s non-working status.
“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,” the letter states.
Sussex Response Focuses on Lack of Warning
Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson did not dispute the substance of the King’s clarification.
Instead, the response focused on how the announcement was communicated.
“We were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance.”
That distinction is significant because earlier reports had suggested the Sussexes were unhappy with the Palace intervention, but until now those claims had largely relied on unnamed friends or insiders.
The spokesperson’s statement provides a direct indication that the timing and handling of the announcement were unexpected.
However, there was no public accusation against Charles, no rejection of the Sandringham agreement and no suggestion from the Sussexes’ representative that the couple believed they had returned as working royals.
Harry and Meghan are expected to continue pursuing charitable and commercial activities independently while living in Britain.
Their family relationship with the King also remains separate from their institutional status.
For now, the Palace has made that dividing line explicit: Harry and Meghan may once again be based in the UK, but their move does not restore the royal duties they left behind in 2020.
