King Charles III has formally ruled that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will remain non-working royals, prompting the couple’s team to express surprise at the lack of advance notice.
The Duke, 40, and Duchess of Sussex, 43, received a letter on behalf of the monarch clarifying their status as “private citizens with commercial and charitable interests” who will not resume any royal duties. Harry’s representatives reportedly said, “We were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance.” The outlet reported that the pair were made aware of the letter itself, but not its full context.
Meghan still holds the title of The Duchess of Sussex, bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II on her wedding day in May 2018. Her full official title also includes Countess of Dumbarton and Baroness Kilkeel. Prince Harry retains his corresponding dukedom. However, the couple are no longer permitted to use their “HRH” styles of His and Her Royal Highness.
“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,” the letter stated. “The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity,” it continued.
Before becoming a royal, Meghan built a successful acting career, most notably portraying Rachel Zane on the legal drama “Suits” from 2011 until 2018. She left the role upon her engagement to Harry.
During her time as a working royal, Meghan became patron of several organizations including The National Theatre, The Association of Commonwealth Universities, animal welfare charity Mayhew, and Smart Works, which assists vulnerable women and long-term unemployed women in returning to work.
After stepping back as senior royals in January 2020, the couple relocated to Meghan’s native California two months later. They have since launched multiple ventures including the Archewell Foundation, their nonprofit organization. Meghan also released her podcast “Archetypes” and established her lifestyle brand As Ever, which sells what she describes as “a curated selection of gourmet food spreads, artisan honeys, herbal teas, and lifestyle home goods.” She currently operates as a lifestyle business owner and entrepreneur.
The couple’s departure from senior royal life followed years of intense media scrutiny. In November 2016, Harry’s communications secretary issued a statement condemning the press for subjecting Meghan “to a wave of abuse and harassment.” The statement detailed “the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments.” It also revealed hidden pressures including “the nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers; her mother having to struggle past photographers in order to get to her front door; the attempts of reporters and photographers to gain illegal entry to her home.”
When announcing their step back in January 2020, the couple stated: “We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.”
Since relocating, Harry has pursued extensive legal action against UK media organizations. He launched cases against News Group Newspapers and Mirror Group Newspapers over alleged phone hacking and unlawful interception of voicemails. In 2023, he testified in his case against Mirror Group Newspapers, becoming the first senior British royal to give evidence in court in more than 130 years. He later won part of that case, with a judge awarding him £140,600 in damages. News Group Newspapers subsequently settled his lawsuit, offering what Harry’s team called a “full and unequivocal apology” for “serious intrusion” into his private life between 1996 and 2011.
Harry has also fought a prolonged legal battle over his UK security arrangements. After the committee responsible for royal security decided he would no longer receive the same level of taxpayer-funded protection, he challenged the decision in court. The High Court dismissed his challenge, and three Court of Appeal judges later rejected his appeal, ruling that case-by-case protection was “lawful and rational,” Harry said he was “devastated” by the loss, adding: “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.”
Despite these tensions, the family has maintained some contact. Harry joined King Charles for a private tea at Clarence House in London earlier this year, their first face-to-face meeting in 19 months. Meghan, Harry and their two children subsequently met with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House. The couple have reportedly planned to relocate back to the UK, with their children enrolled to start at school in September.