Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will remain private citizens and non-working members of the British royal family now that they have returned to the UK and there will be no change to their current royal status, King Charles III says. This ends weeks of speculation about whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could resume official duties after relocating back to Britain with their two children.
Harry and Meghan both resigned as senior working royals in 2020, a decision that marked a major turning point in their relationship with the institution. Since then, the couple has lived outside the UK and focused on independent work rather than official royal work. Their reported return to Britain had raised questions over whether the move could eventually lead to a reconciliation with the royal family and a restoration of their roles.
Even so, the latest guidance is clear that their place in the monarchy will not change. King Charles has made clear that Harry and Meghan will continue to be referred to as Sussex but that they will not be performing royal duties on behalf of the Crown.
So the couple will be referred to as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but their His and Her Royal Highness styles will stay in abeyance. That means the titles are retained but Harry and Meghan will not use HRH with the title in public.
“It follows that there is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” the letter says. “Their styles as His and Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used.”
Harry is still a son of the reigning monarch and he remains closely attached to the royal family although he has pulled out of royal service. His position is a matter of great interest among royal supporters since he and Meghan left the UK in the first place and have taken a professional position in the USA.
The couple’s return to the UK with their children (Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet) had also caused speculation about their long-term relationship with the monarchy. Their spending more time in Britain was seen by people as a possibility for better relations with the royal family.
But the latest confirmation indicates that a physical return to the UK won’t automatically translate into a return to royal service. Harry and Meghan will not be on the working royals list and will not take part in King Charles or the Crown's official tours.
The difference between holding royal titles and performing royal duties is important. That the Sussexes have retained their titles when they step back from official duties means those are their constitutional and ceremonial functions as working members of the royal family.
When Harry and Meghan return to the UK, King Charles will be able to set up a clear relationship with the monarchy so in the long term, the couple will hold on to the private lives of their children while still being connected to the royal family through their titles (and family ties).
The development will be of central interest because of the Sussexes’ close ties to the royal family. They left royal service in 2020, moved abroad, and a number of public disclosures about life in the monarchy had created one of the most turbulent times in the history of the modern British royal family.
But with the latest guidance it appears clear: Harry and Meghan may live in the UK and keep their Sussex titles, but they will stay non-working royals and private citizens. So returning will not mean a return to official royal duties or engagements on behalf of the Crown.
