LONDON – King Charles is setting the record straight.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan may have moved back to Britain, but there will be absolutely no change to their royal status, according to a new letter sent on behalf of the monarch.
Despite their return, the Sussexes will remain as non-working royals and will not be carrying out any official royal engagements on behalf of the sovereign, says the document, sent by Lord Chamberlain, a top Palace official, according to the BBC.
USA TODAY has reached out to Prince Harry's spokesperson and to Buckingham Palace for comment. The Sussexes’ office remains separate from Buckingham Palace.
Harry and Meghan, who landed in the UK last month, will still not be able to use the "HRH" titles of His and Her Royal
Highness, and are considered "private citizens with commercial and charitable interests," the letter said.
They lost those rights, along with their taxpayer funded security, when they stepped back from their roles as senior royals six years ago.
"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 reportedly says.
The letter also notes the couple's "charitable work" is "a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity."
The letter was sent to Harry's team and to the government and military, the BBC reported citing palace sources.
The Daily Mail reported the King directed the letter to be shared to "help avoid doubt or confusion," following the couple's return to the U.K. with their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5. The Sussex children are reportedly starting at a new school this week.
Since their return, the king has been inundated with requests for clarity about the pair's royal status.
The letter does not reveal any new information but serves to highlight the king's longstanding belief that there is no "half in/ half out" arrangement when it comes to being in the royal family, something Charles' late mother Queen Elizabeth II reportedly felt strongly about.
The Sussexes stunned the world when they announced in January 2020 that they would be stepping back from their roles as senior royals and relocating in a bid to become "financially independent." The move, dubbed "Megxit" by the tabloids, drove an even bigger wedge between them and the wider royal family.
"They didn't even tell the queen" roared the front page of Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper following the announcement.
The Sussexes are yet to publicly share what spurred their return to Britain after six years in Meghan's home state of California. Many members of the public, along with the tabloids, have questioned where the U-turn came from, with the king's age and health listed among the possible reasons for their homecoming.
The monarch was diagnosed with an unspecified form on cancer in 2024. Harry's choice to bring his family home means his children will likely see more of their grandfather and Queen Camilla.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Prince Harry and Meghan's royal status will not change despite UK return, King says
