Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were surprised by a letter from King Charles making clear they remain non-working royals, according to BBC and Sky News reports. The correspondence, reported on Saturday, restates the couple's position within the royal family more than six years after they stepped back from official duties.
According to mirror.co.uk, the letter follows a series of efforts by the Sussexes to maintain a connection to their royal status. The outlet frames the King's intervention as a response to those attempts, though it does not detail specific actions by the couple.
The BBC reported that the King's letter confirms Harry and Meghan are not working members of the royal family. Sky News likewise reported that the couple was surprised by the King's intervention. Neither outlet indicated what prompted the letter beyond the broader context of the couple's public profile since their departure.
The Guardian, in a separate piece, argued that the King cannot halt the Sussexes' commercial and media ventures, suggesting the letter may only add attention to their projects rather than quiet them.
The reports do not include the letter's full contents, nor have Buckingham Palace or representatives for the Sussexes issued detailed public statements in the material reviewed.
What to watch next: whether the Palace or the Sussexes respond publicly, and whether the letter changes the couple's commercial and charitable arrangements.
