Harry and Meghan 'surprised' by King's letter about them
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly caught off guard by the sudden release of a Buckingham Palace letter clarifying their status as non-working royals. The couple was given minimal time to review the document, which reiterated that they must refrain from using formal royal titles.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the ongoing tension between the Sussexes and the British monarchy regarding their public roles and communication protocols.
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, were surprised by the way Buckingham Palace released a letter that made clear they remain non-working members of the royal family even though they have returned to the United Kingdom. The letter, <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/09/08/king-charles-clarifies-status-of-harry-and-meghan-after-uk-return/">sent on behalf of King Charles III</a> to senior government and military officials, caught the couple off guard when it was released to the media in part because they were given little time to review or comment on its contents, a person familiar with the discussions said. The couple’s representatives received a copy of the letter just one hour and 12 minutes before it was released to news outlets, the person said. That left them with little time to respond because they were unable to reach Harry, who was in a meeting, until just two minutes before the letter was released, the person added.
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