Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were notified by Buckingham Palace about the King’s position on their royal status one hour before a formal letter was publicly distributed on Monday, GB News understands.
The correspondence, issued under the King’s direction, stated unequivocally that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are unable to use their “HRH” titles and will not carry out duties on behalf of the Royal Family.
Lord Benyon, serving as Lord Chamberlain, dispatched the letter to a select group of “key stakeholders” spanning Government officials, military figures, Lords Lieutenant and the Sussexes’ own team, following what was described as “a number of requests for guidance” regarding the couple’s public standing.
The letter represented the first visible sign of friction between the Palace and the Sussexes since the couple returned to Britain with their two children last month.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were notified by Buckingham Palace about the King’s position on their royal status ahead of a formal letter being distributed on Monday, GB News understands.
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A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess said: “We were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance. The publication of the letter had caught the couple off guard.”
The remark appeared to suggest that while the Palace had shared the King’s position with the couple beforehand, the broader circulation of the formal letter to stakeholders was not something they had anticipated.
The move has been widely read as an attempt to put an end to speculation surrounding the significance of the couple’s return to the UK.
The Sussex camp is understood to harbour concerns that the letter’s timing may be connected to a crucial meeting of the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), the Home Office body that determines royal security arrangements, which could take place as soon as Tuesday.
The correspondence, issued under the King’s direction, stated unequivocally that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are unable to use their “HRH” titles and will not carry out duties on behalf of the Royal Family.
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Prince Harry has spent several weeks pressing both the Home Secretary and Ravec’s chairman for clarity on his family’s protection status.
A threat assessment carried out by the Risk Management Board (RMB), which provides recommendations to Ravec, was completed in July, though its findings have not been communicated to the Duke.
Tuesday’s meeting is anticipated to address those recommendations and reach a definitive conclusion on whether the family qualifies for taxpayer-funded police protection, or alternatively to commission a new RMB assessment reflecting the family’s full-time presence in Britain.
A Buckingham Palace source denied in categorical terms any connection between the letter’s timing and the security question, emphasising that matters of protection fall under the Government’s remit.
The letter itself sets out that the Duke and Duchess do not act as representatives of the sovereign and that their charitable endeavours are conducted in a purely private capacity.
“In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests,” the correspondence states.
The stipulations outlined in Monday’s letter are consistent with the terms agreed upon in 2020, when Harry and Meghan stepped back from their roles as working members of the Royal Family.