Prince Harry of England and Meghan Markle, always the focus of the British media with every move they make, managed to capture all the attention last August when their unexpected decision to return to the United Kingdom for “an extended period of time” after six years living in California was made public. The new life of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on British soil, where they arrived a few days after their announcement and before September began, remains a mystery and no further official details have been released about what they will do or how their security will be financed. What was known from the start is that their status as active members of the British royal family would not change. This was reconfirmed by King Charles III this Monday.
In a letter addressed to senior British government officials, the military, and other representatives of the royal family in the country, the monarch made it clear that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle remain non-active members of the royalty despite their return. As reported by British media such as Daily Mail and The Sun, the king states in the letter that “the titles of Harry and Meghan are suspended and should be treated as nothing more than private individuals.” “There will be no changes to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Their treatment as Their Royal Highnesses remains suspended and will not be used,” the monarch notes, responding to requests received to clarify this matter.
The letter was sent through the Lord Chamberlain, the highest-ranking official of the royal household, and was previously shared with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. “It is well known that in January 2020 the dukes renounced their representative functions on behalf of the sovereign and are no longer active members of the royal family. This position, distinct from the state and royal duties performed by the active royal family, and with the personal freedom it grants the couple regarding financial independence and the protection of their privacy according to their wishes, will continue to be fully respected,” the letter reads. Thus, the so-called “Sandringham agreement,” by which they renounced being active members of the royal family in January 2020, remains in effect.
At the same time, Charles III advises that “security matters should continue to be directed to the relevant police authorities.” It is worth remembering that this is one of the issues still open for the Duke of Sussex, who even confronted the British government in court to have security restored when he and his family set foot on British soil. After his judicial defeat in May 2025 — after which he said he “did not foresee at that time a world in which he could return with his wife and children to the United Kingdom” — the British Home Office accepted last December a reassessment of the threats he faces on each visit to his native country, after the Court of Appeal dismissed all appeals filed to guarantee his protection. Whenever he has returned to the UK, he has had to bear the costs of his security himself. As his father has now expressed, this will continue until a final decision is made. He also requests that “correspondence and administrative matters relating to the couple” be sent directly to his office, “which will continue to operate independently of the royal household.”
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The letter also addresses another issue that concerns the Duke of Sussex the most: his philanthropic work. “It is a personal matter that both carry out privately. In summary, their position is similar to that of private citizens with commercial and charitable interests,” explains Charles III, adding that any communication related to the couple should be made through his own office, independent of Buckingham Palace. Therefore, Prince Harry of England will be able to continue his work with the Invictus Games, created by the prince in 2014, and with other organizations he has been linked to for years, reminiscent of the role his mother, Princess Diana of Wales, played for many years.
According to The Telegraph published on August 26, Prince Harry of England and Meghan Markle and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, landed at Birmingham airport on a private plane and will live in a non-royal residence in the Cotswolds area, in southwest England. In addition to starting a new life for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the family’s little ones also begin their educational stage this week at a school in the United Kingdom.
