BREAKINGNEW:King Charles issues letter about Harry, Meghan after shock announcement
King Charles appears to be moving away from the Royal Family’s longstanding “never complain, never explain” approach as mounting tensions surrounding Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Princess Diana force Buckingham Palace into a more public response.
The 77-year-old monarch has recently taken the unusual step of issuing formal statements on matters the Palace might previously have allowed to pass without comment.
According to one Palace insider, Charles now believes silence is no longer always an option when stories directly affect the reputation of the Crown.
“The 77-year-old monarch can no longer stay silent on issues that directly harm the Crown,” the source claimed.
That changing approach has become particularly noticeable during Harry and Meghan’s high-profile return to the UK.
The King has reportedly moved to clarify the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s official status, while Buckingham Palace has also responded publicly to explosive claims made by Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Charles Spencer.
Palace Forced Into Rare Public Response
A formal communication concerning Harry and Meghan reportedly reiterated that the couple remain outside the working Royal Family despite their renewed presence in Britain.
The move was seen as an attempt to draw a clear distinction between the Sussexes’ private charity work and any suggestion that they are once again representing the monarchy.
At the same time, the Palace has found itself confronting a far more personal issue.
Charles Spencer’s forthcoming memoir about his late sister, Princess Diana, has reopened painful questions about events surrounding her death and her relationship with the future King.
Spencer alleged that during an emotional conversation following Diana’s death, Charles told him: “We’ll forget her soon enough.”
Buckingham Palace took the unusual step of responding directly to the account.
A statement issued on behalf of the King said: “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.”
Rather than addressing each allegation individually, the statement appeared to question whether grief may have affected Spencer’s recollection.
Fresh Speculation Around Harry and Diana Memoir
The controversy has also generated speculation about how much Prince Harry knew about his uncle’s book before publication.
One insider claimed senior royals could no longer ignore speculation that Harry and Meghan may have been aware of Spencer’s plans.
The memoir is expected to revisit Diana’s childhood, her troubled marriage and her relationship with members of the Royal Family.
There are also suggestions that Queen Camilla could feature in some of the more difficult chapters of the story.
A separate source told Page Six that Harry was not surprised by the contents.
“Harry knew what was in the book – it didn’t come as a shock,” the source claimed.
According to the report, Harry may have discussed the memoir with his uncle during a visit to Althorp with Meghan two months earlier.
There has been no confirmation from Harry that he supported or encouraged the book.
‘Never Complain, Never Explain’ Under Pressure
For decades, the phrase “never complain, never explain” has been closely associated with the Royal Family’s approach to negative publicity.
The idea was simple: avoid becoming dragged into every rumour, allegation or newspaper story.
But the latest Palace responses suggest that strategy may be becoming more flexible under Charles.
Some royal commentators have argued that remaining silent in the face of highly damaging claims could allow speculation to grow unchecked.
Others have pointed out that frequent public rebuttals risk creating exactly the sort of prolonged controversy the old strategy was designed to avoid.
Former royal communications director Julian Payne offered a different perspective on Charles’s traditional approach.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Payne said he did not recognise some of the descriptions of the King now circulating publicly.
He recalled that during his time working for the then-Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall, Charles was strongly opposed to retaliating against negative coverage.
“What I remember was he was very clear that there was never to be any criticism, never to be any pushback on the narratives that were usually highly critical of him,” Payne said.
Palace Faces Difficult Balancing Act
The King is therefore facing a delicate communications challenge.
Harry and Meghan’s return has already created renewed debate about their role and relationship with the institution.
At the same time, Spencer’s book threatens to drag some of the most painful episodes of Diana’s life back into public discussion.
Piers Morgan was among those reacting strongly to the Palace’s response, highlighting how unusual it was to see Buckingham Palace push back so firmly against such claims.
For Charles, the difficulty is now deciding when silence protects the monarchy — and when silence risks allowing damaging allegations to define the story.
The latest interventions suggest Buckingham Palace is increasingly prepared to speak when officials believe the reputation of the King or the institution itself is at stake.
Whether that represents a permanent change in royal strategy remains unclear.
But amid Harry and Meghan’s return, renewed scrutiny of Diana’s death and fresh claims from Earl Spencer, the era of automatically saying nothing may no longer be quite so straightforward.
