LONDON, UK. (THECOUNT) — Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, were reportedly “surprised” by a Buckingham Palace letter reaffirming their status as nonworking royals as questions intensify over whether the couple will receive publicly funded security following their return to Britain.
The letter, released Monday on behalf of King Charles III, reiterated that Harry and Meghan have remained nonworking members of the Royal Family since stepping down from official duties in January 2020.
Advertisement
The clarification comes as a government committee is expected to consider security arrangements for Harry and his family during their extended stay in the United Kingdom. The Home Office, which oversees protection for public figures, declined to comment directly on the matter, citing security concerns.
A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said the high-profile couple was not given an opportunity to contribute to the letter’s contents before it was released publicly.
According to the spokesperson, the contents were shared with the Sussexes’ staff only a few hours before the letter was made public. A Buckingham Palace source confirmed that Harry’s team received the letter Monday before its release.
The Palace said the document was intended to clarify the couple’s unchanged status for government and military officials amid continuing questions over whether public funds should be used to provide security protection for Harry, Meghan and their children.
The security decision itself remains in the hands of the appropriate government committee. A palace source said Buckingham Palace does not determine whether Harry and his family receive police protection.
The dispute over security has followed Harry since he and Meghan stepped away from senior royal duties. In February 2020, the Home Office determined that the couple would no longer automatically receive personal police protection while in Britain.
Harry has since pursued a lengthy legal battle over the removal of that protection, arguing that his high-profile position, military service in Afghanistan and threats directed toward him and his family warrant security while they are in the United Kingdom.
The couple recently returned from California for what has been described as an extended stay in Britain with their children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, putting the security question back at the center of their relationship with the British government and the Royal Household.
The palace letter was signed by the Lord Chamberlain, the most senior officer of the Royal Household. It stated that Harry and Meghan stepped down from undertaking representative duties on behalf of the Sovereign in January 2020 and “are no longer working Members of The Royal Family.”
The letter further stated that the couple’s charitable activities are undertaken in a private capacity and described their position as distinct from the official state and royal duties performed by working members of the Royal Family.
A Buckingham Palace source said the letter was placed into the public domain because officials believed it would likely become public anyway and wanted to avoid accusations that its contents had been kept secret.
For Harry and Meghan, however, the unexpected release has added fresh tension to their return to Britain, particularly as the unresolved question of security protection for the couple and their children remains under government consideration.
London is the capital of the United Kingdom and the center of the British monarchy, with Buckingham Palace serving as the official London residence and administrative headquarters of the Sovereign.
DEVELOPING::