Harry and Meghan Push Back on ‘Private Citizens’ Label as Palace Reaffirms They Are Not Working Royals

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, pictured in 2022, yesterday hit out at the King’s decision to label them ‘private citizens’

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly pushed back against Buckingham Palace’s description of them as “private citizens,” with sources close to the couple saying they would prefer to be regarded as “public figures.”

The disagreement emerged after Buckingham Palace circulated new guidance on behalf of King Charles making clear that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not returned to Britain as working members of the Royal Family.

The guidance was intended to clarify their status following the couple’s return to the UK and reiterated that the arrangements established after their departure from royal duties in 2020 remain unchanged.

But sources close to Harry and Meghan have taken issue with both the language used and the way the Palace handled the communication.

Sussexes Take Issue With ‘Private Citizens’ Description

In a letter of ‘guidance’ released on King Charles’ behalf, the Palace confirmed that the Sussexes have not returned to be working royals

At the centre of the disagreement is a passage stating that Harry and Meghan should not receive treatment associated with working royalty.

“In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests,” the Palace guidance said.

The document also stated that this position was consistent with the couple’s previously expressed desire to live as private citizens while in Britain and with the agreement reached following the Sandringham Summit in 2020.

Sources close to the Sussexes, however, have suggested that “public figures” would be a more appropriate description.

According to the briefing, Harry particularly objected to the idea that he and Meghan should simply be considered private citizens. The argument put forward was that if they were entirely private individuals, formal guidance explaining how officials should treat them would not have been necessary.

The Sussexes would also reportedly have preferred the Palace to acknowledge that, on a personal level, they remain members of the Royal Family despite no longer receiving public funding or carrying out duties as working royals.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment further, taking the position that the guidance itself provided sufficient clarification.

Palace Makes Clear There Has Been No Return to Royal Duties

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The dispute over terminology comes amid renewed attention surrounding Harry and Meghan following their move back to Britain.

Despite their continuing family connection to the monarchy, the Palace’s position is that their constitutional and official status has not changed.

The couple stepped away from senior royal duties in 2020 following negotiations that culminated in the Sandringham agreement.

Under that arrangement, they stopped representing the monarch as working royals and pursued an independent life involving commercial ventures and charitable projects.

The latest guidance effectively restates that boundary.

Sources quoted in the original report argued that the Sussexes’ preference for being described as public figures while maintaining visible royal connections illustrates why the “half-in, half-out” arrangement originally discussed in 2020 would have been difficult to sustain alongside their independent commercial activities.

That remains the view of those sources rather than a formal new declaration from Buckingham Palace.

Harry and Meghan Were Given Just Over an Hour’s Notice

The terminology was not the only issue raised by people close to the Sussexes.

Their representatives also suggested that Harry and Meghan were caught “off guard” by the timing of the Palace communication.

According to the account provided by Team Sussex, the contents of the letter were shared with them at 1.59pm.

Their representatives responded at 2.19pm, hoping there would be an opportunity to “clarify one or two points” before the guidance became public.

Harry, however, was visiting Tower Bridge Studios in London and could not be reached until 3.09pm, according to the briefing.

Two minutes later, at 3.11pm, the Sussex team was reportedly informed that the letter had already been sent to the media five minutes earlier.

Sources close to the couple have therefore argued that they were not given sufficient opportunity to discuss their concerns before its release.

Questions Raised Over Timing Ahead of Security Meeting

Another point of contention concerns the timing of the guidance.

Sources close to Harry and Meghan have suggested that its release shortly before a meeting involving Ravec — the committee responsible for decisions surrounding security arrangements for members of the Royal Family and other public figures — may have been significant.

They reportedly questioned whether describing Harry and Meghan as private citizens could affect discussions over Harry’s efforts to secure taxpayer-funded police protection while in Britain.

However, the original report said this suggestion was rejected by sources familiar with the Palace’s reasoning.

According to that account, the guidance was circulated not to influence Ravec but to provide officials with clarity as Harry and Meghan embarked on a busy programme in Britain.

No evidence was presented establishing that the Palace communication was intended to influence the security committee.

A Continuing Debate Over Harry’s Security

Security has long been one of the most contentious issues surrounding Harry’s relationship with Britain.

After stepping back as a working royal, the Duke lost the automatic level of publicly funded police protection he had previously received.

The issue subsequently became the subject of years of legal proceedings and remained an important factor in Harry’s decisions about travelling to Britain with Meghan and their children.

With the Sussex family now spending significantly more time in the UK, the question of what protection Harry and his family should receive has again taken on greater importance.

The latest disagreement over whether the Sussexes should be described as “private citizens” or “public figures” therefore goes beyond semantics for those close to the couple.

It touches on a much wider debate about how Harry and Meghan should operate in Britain after leaving official royal life.

Still Family, But Not Working Royals

There is one distinction on which the Palace position appears unequivocal: Harry and Meghan have not resumed their former roles.

They remain the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and retain their personal connection to the Royal Family, but they do not represent King Charles in an official capacity and are not publicly funded working royals.

Sources close to the couple are not disputing that they left those duties behind.

Instead, their objection appears to centre on how their unusual position should now be described.

For Team Sussex, “public figures” better reflects two people who continue to maintain high-profile charitable and commercial interests while also remaining personally connected to the monarchy.

For the Palace, the latest guidance appears designed to reinforce a much simpler boundary: whatever their public profile or family relationships, Harry and Meghan should not be treated as working royalty.

The disagreement has once again exposed the unresolved complexities created by the Sussexes’ departure in 2020 — particularly as Harry and Meghan establish a more visible presence in Britain while continuing to operate independently of the monarchy.