Buckingham Palace confirms Harry and Meghan remain private citizens

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be back on British soil, but their return home won’t come with a royal reset.

Buckingham Palace has drawn a firm line around the Sussexes’ homecoming, reaffirming that the couple will not resume official duties and that their status remains unchanged from when they stepped back as working royals in 2020.

“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,” a letter sent on behalf of King Charles III read, can confirm. “This position, distinct from the State and Royal duties undertaken by the working Royal Family, and with the personal latitude it brings the couple in respect of financial independence and protection of their privacy as they would wish, will continue to be fully respected.”

The letter further underscored that a change in address does not mean a change in royal status.

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“It follows that there is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” the letter added. “Their styles as His and Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used. The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity. In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.”

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A letter sent on behalf of King Charles III stated that the couple will not resume official duties and will continue to use their titles privately. (Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images)

The letter was sent by the Lord Chamberlain, the most senior official in the royal household, to senior officials in the government and military, as well as lord lieutenants, the king’s personal representatives around the country.

Digital reached out to a representative for Prince Harry and Markle for comment.

Markle and Prince Harry moved back to the U.K. in late August.

The couple’s children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have already enrolled at British schools and will start classes sometime in September. The family plans to live at a private, nonroyal residence outside of London, but haven’t said exactly where that will be.

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The Sussexes’ charitable work will remain separate from the responsibilities of working members of the royal family. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

The couple won’t return to any semblance of the life they held before, according to one royal expert.

“While Harry and Meghan are returning, they are not regaining official royal roles,” British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Digital. “Nor was there any agreement to a ‘half-in, half-out’ construct. They have been thwarted by trying to do what they agreed to with Queen Elizabeth II.”

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If a return to royal duties was off the table, Harry’s motivation for coming home could be far more personal.

Former butler to King Charles III, Grant Harrold, wondered if Harry’s desire to spend more time with his father had shifted the prince’s priorities after feeling homesick for some time.

A royal expert said Prince Harry’s desire to spend more time with his father may have influenced the family’s decision to return home. (Chris Jackson)

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But a return to Britain would put Harry and Meghan firmly back under the royal microscope, he warned, with both the public and the palace watching their every move.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.