King Charles III released a statement making it crystal clear that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would not be granted royal status after moving back to the United Kingdom, which came as a bit of a surprise to the Sussexes. On the heels of a report claiming that two royals were reportedly rattled by Harry and Meghan’s return, Charles issued a letter to high-ranking members of the U.K. government and military on September 7 clarifying that his son and daughter-in-law would remain private citizens. “To help avoid doubt or confusion, the King has directed that the following information be shared. … There is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” the letter read, per People. That meant that Harry and Meg were free to pursue their personal endeavors. “In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests,” Charles’ letter added.
According to BBC News, Harry and Meghan’s rep said that the Sussexes did not expect to be reinstated, but “were a little surprised not to have been told about this [letter] in advance.” Previously, People reported that Harry and his wife would not be given royal status and that he would have to speak to Charles if the couple decided they wanted to be officially reinstated.
After news broke of their big return across the pond, another source told OK! USA that part of the reason Harry and Meghan left the United States was so they could have a “half-in, half-out” role with the royals. Harry’s exact role, however, had yet to be solidified. “What’s particularly interesting is that nobody appears to have sat around a table and formally resurrected the original half-in, half-out proposal,” the insider said. Other reports indicated that the Sussexes could face serious obstacles to obtaining hybrid roles.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are undecided on how long they’ll stay
A couple of weeks before King Charles III wrote the letter about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal status, an insider said that the Duke of Sussex was eyeing a “private royals plus” role when he returned to the United Kingdom. There would be stipulations attached to such a position. “It needs them to be much more ‘private’ than ‘working,’ and be seen at family occasions,” the source told The Times on August 23. One major roadblock would be Harry’s feud with his brother, Prince William. “That requires William and Catherine to say ‘yes please’ and how on earth does that happen?” the insider told the outlet.
Another possible factor in what Harry’s role with the royal family will be going forward is how long he and Meg decide to stay. They have enrolled their children in school in the U.K., but are also keeping their home in California. “It’ll be an extended period of time — it could be six months, it could be a year, it could be more — I don’t think even they know yet,” the source told The Times. A few days later, another source told NBC News that the Sussexes were coming long enough to bring their dogs along, but had not decided to move back to the U.K. for good.
One major factor determining how long Harry and Meghan’s return to the U.K. will last is the state of their marriage and how it will be impacted by the move. Brittany Provance, Editor-in-Chief of Royal News Network, told Nicki Swift that having a getaway home in Portugal could help. “But I’m not sure if that will be enough, especially if the reception in Britain will likely be icy at best, especially from the royals,” the royal expert said.
