The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made clear they will not step back from their charity work, a move that could put them on a collision course with Palace courtiers, according to a new report.
The couple, who returned to the UK last month six years after stepping down as senior royals, were issued an edict by King Charles reminding government officials that they were still not working royals. The Buckingham Palace statement also made clear that Harry and Meghan should be treated as private citizens, not official representatives of the Royal Family.
In response, the couple made clear they would prefer to be described as public figures.
Collision course warning
A source told Woman and Home: "It is their belief that they have a great deal to offer charities and good causes that could benefit from their support."
The source added: "If the King thought that issuing that letter would simply make them fade away, he will be deeply disappointed."
They added that there is "no way" Harry will "step back or walk away" from the Invictus Games initiative or his work with the WellChild charity.
"It is no exaggeration that this is likely to put them on a collision course with the Palace," the source said.
Quasi-royal positioning
This hybrid, quasi-royal positioning was seen before the couple returned to the UK, when they flew to Jordan in February for what appeared to all as a royal tour - despite not being working royals. It was their first international trip as a couple for two years, heavily publicised as they sought to portray themselves on a par with Prince William and Princess Catherine on an official royal engagement.
They repeated the approach with a short tour of Australia in April, when they tried to recreate their hugely popular 16-day post-wedding tour of Down Under in 2018, with very mixed results.
It feels now that Harry and Meghan are playing a game of chicken with palace officials, powering forward with cementing a role for themselves as royals who work - even if they are not classed as working royals. At some stage this will come to a head, and it could get very public and very ugly.
