Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly surprised to learn that King Charles III had issued a letter detailing their royal status. A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told the BBC on Tuesday that the couple had not been warned in advance about the monarch's communication.
The team for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle allegedly received the letter, which referred to them as "private citizens with commercial and charitable interests," shortly before 2 p.m. UK time on Monday. Prince Harry was contacted later that afternoon to be informed that his team had responded to the letter with questions, only for the monarch's statement to be widely disseminated two minutes later.
King Charles' letter confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who recently returned to the United Kingdom after six years abroad, will not be undertaking official duties as working royals. The announcement, sent to the BBC on behalf of Charles by the family's lord chamberlain, stated, "It is well known that in January 2020 the Duke and Duchess stepped down from undertaking representative duties on behalf of the Sovereign, and are no longer working Members of the Royal Family."
The letter further clarified, "There is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Their styles as His and Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used." According to the notes, King Charles, 77, issued the letter "to help avoid doubt or confusion."