King Charles Makes His Position on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Return to Royal Life Clear in a New Statement
"To help avoid doubt or confusion, The King has directed that the following information be shared..."
King Charles has shared a statement regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's move to the U.K., which reveals whether the pair will return to official royal duties.
The Daily Mail's royal editor, Rebecca English, shared the news, writing, "In a letter of guidance to 'senior stakeholders' in the government, military, and those who represent the Royal Family around the country, Charles said Harry and Meghan's titles are in abeyance and they should not be treated as anything other than private individuals."
The King also referenced Prince Harry's ongoing call for adequate protection, writing, "security issues should continue to be directed to the relevant police authorities."
"The King has directed that the following information be shared."
English shared the full letter in her article, which explained: "Following the decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to relocate to the U.K., we have received a number of requests for guidance. To help avoid doubt or confusion, The King has directed that the following information be shared."
The letter continued, "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."
Furthermore, the letter noted, "This position, distinct from the state and royal duties undertaken by the working Royal Family, and with the personal latitude it brings the couple in respect of financial independence and protection of their privacy as they would wish, will continue to be fully respected."
"They should not be treated as anything other than private individuals."
Per the statement, "The charitable work of the duke and duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity. In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests."
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The letter also noted that Meghan and Harry will continue to use their royal titles as previously designated, which includes no longer styling themselves as His or Her Royal Highness.
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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.