King Charles’s Letter Confirms Harry and Meghan Have Returned to London as Private Citizens

A letter authorized by King Charles III has drawn a clear line around Harry and Meghan’s return to the United Kingdom: they are back as private citizens, not as representatives of the monarchy.

The letter was sent to British government and military authorities and senior officials connected with the household of Windsor. It was signed by the Lord Chamberlain, Buckingham Palace’s senior official, with the monarch’s approval. The document says the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will continue their commercial and charitable work without representing the royal family.

Harry and Meghan retain their titles as Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Their children, Archie and Lilibet, retain their princely titles by birth. But the couple will continue not to use the style His Royal Highness because they remain nonworking members of the royal family.

The arrangement follows the Sandringham Agreement reached after the couple’s break with the monarchy in 2020 and their move to the United States. The agreement established that they could not represent the royal family on a part-time basis. The Lord Chamberlain’s letter says it is well known that they gave up royal representative duties on behalf of the sovereign and are no longer working members of the family.

The clarification serves official protocol, administrative and logistical purposes, but it also pushes back against reports that the Sussexes’ return might lead to a full reconciliation with the king or their return as active members of the dynasty. Those reports have reportedly been viewed negatively by William, Harry’s elder brother and heir to the throne, whose relationship with Harry remains apparently icy after the accusations and recriminations surrounding the 2020 split.

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It is well known that the Duke and Duchess have given up carrying out representative duties of the monarchy on behalf of the Sovereign.