Royal family
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly unhappy with King Charles referring to them as “private citizens.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to the U.K. with their children has taken an unexpected turn, as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex now appear to be at odds with the palace over the issue of privacy.
After reports surfaced in August that the Sussexes planned to spend an extended period back in Britain, sources made clear that the couple would not be resuming official royal duties. King Charles later reinforced that position in a Sept. 7 letter, issued on his behalf by the Lord Chamberlain to government departments and military officials.
The letter made it clear that Harry and Meghan are “private citizens” to avoid any confusion about how they should be treated and that any work they do should not be associated with the Crown. It read in part, “[Harry and Meghan’s] styles as His and Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used. The charitable work of the duke and duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity. In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.
“Any specific questions from official and state organizations about the courtesies which should be extended to the duke and duchess, and particularly where recourse to public funds may be required, should be directed to Buckingham Palace. Any operational security issues should continue to be directed to the relevant police authorities.”
But after that letter was published in the media, Meghan and Harry pushed back.
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The Daily Mail noted the pair were unhappy with how the Palace handled the letter as they were not given much time to look it over and clarify a few points before it was released to the press. The prince and his wife’s issue with the letter has left some scratching their heads since it outlines the same deal they agreed to with Queen Elizabeth II when they stepped down in 2020.
A spokesman for the Sussexes 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.”
And in a surprising turn, the duke and duchess, who spoke about their need for privacy for years, have rejected the “private citizens” label and instead want to be referred to as “public figures.”
The Telegraph reported that “The duke is understood to have taken particular issue with the notion that the couple were to be treated as private citizens. If that were the case, it was claimed, such formal guidance would not be required. The Sussexes prefer the term ‘public figures’ and would have liked an acknowledgement that, on a personal level, they remained members of the royal family, despite no longer receiving public funding.”
Sources close to Harry and Meghan have suggested the letter was timed to come out prior to a meeting of the Ravec security body and may have been an attempt to influence the committee on whether to reinstate Harry’s taxpayer-funded security.
However, a Palace insider categorically denied any link between the letter and the security question as protection matters fall within the government’s domain.