The King Charles letter about Harry and Meghan has become the biggest royal story of the month. The formal Palace guidance, distributed to senior government and military officials, describes the couple as non-working royals whose position is “akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests” – and according to sources close to the Sussexes, they are not prepared to accept that quietly.
What the letter says
The guidance was intended to “help avoid confusion” about how officials should deal with Harry and Meghan as they undertake public appearances independently of the monarchy, six years after they stepped back from royal duties under the Sandringham Agreement. A Palace insider told Radar Online the letter was “not about stripping anything else away” from the couple: “They can undertake as much charity work as they wish, but they do so as private individuals. The Palace clearly felt that reminder was necessary before the Sussexes’ public activities gathered momentum.”
The Sussexes were caught off guard
Harry and Meghan were given roughly an hour’s notice before the correspondence became public, according to their camp, with a spokesman saying: “We were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance.” Sources say the couple is now examining whether the wording could have consequences beyond Palace protocol – particularly for their continuing bids for increased security in Britain – and could respond with either a legal fight or a public statement.
Why now
The letter landed weeks after the couple moved back to Britain last month. Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, are settling into a British school near the family’s reported countryside base, while Harry is expected to resume public engagements connected to his charities and patronages – with Meghan initially staying away from public events. Royal coverage has described the King’s move as drawing a “line in the sand” and setting a clear boundary with no more discussion needed.
What happens next
Two paths are now in play: the couple answers with a statement, or with lawyers. Either way, Harry’s upcoming public appearances will be the first real test of how officials actually treat the couple the Palace now describes as private citizens. The dispute emerged as the Royal Family privately marked the fourth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death – a reminder of how much has changed, and how little has been resolved.
Sources: Radar Online; Daily Express; OK! Magazine; Page Six; Fox News. Featured image: Buckingham Palace, London Morning 2020, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.