King Charles III rules out official royal return for Harry and Meghan

Prince Harry and Meghan’s return to the United Kingdom will not restore them to official royal duties. A letter sent in King Charles III’s name makes clear that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain outside the active working royal family.

The Lord Chamberlain sent the message to Harry’s team and to representatives of the government, armed forces and Lord Lieutenants, according to palace sources cited by the BBC. Those bodies can help organize visits and official events for members of the royal family, so the letter sets out that Harry and Meghan will not act on behalf of the Crown at such occasions.

The document also reminds officials that the couple cannot use the styles His or Her Royal Highness, commonly known as HRH. It describes them as “private citizens with commercial and charitable interests” and says their philanthropic work takes place in a personal capacity.

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private citizens with commercial and charitable interests

The message refers back to the agreement reached by the royal family in January 2020, when Harry and Meghan stopped carrying out duties as representatives of the sovereign. That arrangement ruled out an intermediate position between private interests and the obligations of active royal family members.

The couple returned to the United Kingdom at the end of August with their children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, for an extended stay. They arrived on a private flight at Birmingham Airport around midday on August 26, six years after leaving their official roles and moving to the United States. “It is well known that in January 2020 the Duke and Duchess ceased undertaking representative duties on behalf of the sovereign and are no longer working members of the royal family,” the letter said, according to the BBC.

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It is well known that in January 2020 the Duke and Duchess ceased undertaking representative duties on behalf of the sovereign and are no longer working members of the royal family.