The Sussexes are ‘rankled’ by the palace calling them ‘private citizens’

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were “surprised” by Buckingham Palace’s clarification letter about their (lack of) royal status, their HRH abeyance and the fact that they are not working royals or backdoor half-in royals. Since BP’s letter was released, the Sussexes’ spox issued the “surprised” statement and then Team Sussex has made a huge deal over the timeline of the statement and when they were informed and why they were not allowed to give input on the statement. From the outside looking in, it seems like Prince Harry and Meghan are surprised that the Humiliation Factory only manufactures humiliations. I really don’t know what they told themselves about how this move would go down, but their surprise is the most surprising thing to me. Speaking of, the Telegraph got yet another briefing from Team Sussex and there’s some fascinating insight into the Sussexes’ mindset.

On the face of it, it is a rather unremarkable letter. The Lord Chamberlain, head of the royal household, simply sets out what we already know: that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are no longer working members of the Royal family, that they cannot use their HRH titles and are no longer represented by Buckingham Palace. But of course, things are never that simple when it comes to Prince Harry and Meghan.

The letter, sent to “key stakeholders” such as government officials, military figures and Lords Lieutenant, has only served to highlight the bitter tensions and distrust between the couple and the Palace courtiers they loathe. There is no doubt that the Duke and Duchess were taken entirely off guard when their office received this missive about their status on Monday. There was also no doubt that they were not remotely happy about it.

First, the timing. As it happens – coincidentally, the Palace insists – this seemingly innocuous email was shared just before a meeting that could determine whether or not the Sussexes are given police protection. The all-important Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) meeting, scheduled to take place this week, marks the climax of a deeply personal battle that Prince Harry has fought for more than six years.

The Home Office committee will discuss the findings of a risk assessment conducted in July. It will then decide whether the current threat level justifies a change in tack, whether the King’s younger son and his family should now be entitled to some form of taxpayer-funded police protection, or whether another risk assessment should be conducted now they are on UK soil.

The Duke is convinced that his protection was withdrawn as some kind of punishment for quitting royal duties. It is hard to overestimate what this decision means to him, wrapped up as it is in layers of personal trauma concerning the death of his mother, his relationship with his father and his status within his family and the wider institution. It is no secret that the Duke does not trust the courtiers who work for the royal household. He does not like Sir Clive Alderton, the King’s private secretary, who sits on Ravec, and who, he is convinced, has been a key player in the decision to deny him security.

It is unsurprising then that the timing of this letter, this punchy reminder that he and his wife are “private citizens” and should be treated as such, has raised eyebrows. The very term rankles. If they were truly private citizens, such formal guidance would not be necessary, or so the argument goes. The Duke remains the King’s son, and they are therefore public figures who cannot conduct normal lives. The language, as always, is key. And there is little room for nuance.

This is not a quick note dashed out on a whim. It is a carefully considered document intended to set the tone for the couple’s work and status in the UK. The letter will be widely interpreted as a shot across the bow, a warning to Prince Harry and Meghan that they have made their bed and they must lie in it. They should not, it suggests, benefit from public funds and other “courtesies” from the state.

The Duke’s spokesman admitted they had been taken aback when it landed in their inboxes. “We were a little surprised to not have been told about this in advance,” he said. The suggestion that they should have been consulted prompted guffaws at the Palace. But within Camp Sussex, no one was laughing.

The letter is the first official communication from the royal household about Harry and Meghan’s return from the United States. It may seem innocuous. But whatever the truth about its timing, it demonstrates just how far apart these two branches of the House of Windsor remain.

[From The Telegraph]

The most generous thing I can say is that there’s nuance on both sides of this situation. The Windsors are justifiably worried about the Sussexes in their backyard, stealing royal thunder and becoming the main characters of every royal story. The clarifying statement was an effort from the Windsors to say “actually, we’re not involved with the Sussex circus, they’re on their own.” Which, let’s be fair, has been the Windsors’ message for years. Harry and Meghan clearly believe that things have changed because of their move, that Harry cannot help the fact that he’s the king’s son, and that the situation needs to be handled differently, with conversations rather than clarifications and conventions. Harry is right that things have changed. But the palace has never backed down from their immovable stance either, you know?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.