Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have returned to the UK with their two children, Archie and Lilibet. The royal couple have set up home in a private residence outside of London, and their children will be attending schools in the UK.
However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be returning to royal duties six years after quitting their roles as senior working royals and moving to Montecito in California.
Financial Independence and Public Statements
At the time, Harry and Meghan said they wanted to become financially independent and embarked on a series of high-profile interviews about their time within the royal family, including a chat with Oprah Winfrey. They also had their own Netflix series, Finding Freedom, and Harry published his memoir, Spare, in which he also levelled a number of claims about the royal family.
It was announced just two weeks ago that Harry and Meghan were returning to the UK, and King Charles and Prince William are believed to have been told at the same time of the couple's plans. The King and the Prince of Wales were said to be in "complete agreement" that Harry could not have a 'half in, half out' role within the monarchy.
King's Letter Clarifies Position
King Charles also emphasised this point with a letter, clarifying the exact position the Duke and Duchess of Sussex occupied. In it he said: "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 charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity." The letter also stresses the couple's HRH titles remain suspended and are not to be used in official contexts.
The King's letter has been sent to Prince Harry's team, government departments, military officials and Lord Lieutenants, according to Palace sources.
Sussexes Express Surprise
The King's letter seems to have taken Harry and Meghan by surprise. A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess said: "We were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance."
Following Meghan and Harry's statement, Palace officials have told the Daily Mail this claim is "incorrect", insisting the couple had received the letter before it was released publicly, although they were not consulted on its contents.
It comes after pictures of the Duke of Sussex emerged, taken last Friday, in London at a podcast and TV studio. The couple are still hoping for police protection following their return to the UK due to safety concerns about their children's school run.
Harry and Meghan are also said to have been concerned over the timing of the King's statement and whether it is linked to a crucial meeting on their security arrangements.
Police Veteran's Perspective
One person who has worked closely with Prince Harry is Neil Basu, who served as assistant commissioner for Specialist Operations in the Metropolitan Police and the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for counter terrorism policing. He was a police veteran who held a crucial position in safeguarding Royal Family members and describes Prince Harry as "decent" and explained why the Duke of Sussex wants protection for his family.
He told The Crime Agents podcast: "It was my units who protected him, and the rest of the royal family, and the VIPs. It was my units that investigated the allegations of threats to kill against him and Meghan from the extreme right-wing, Islamist extremist threats against him, as well as extreme right-wing threats against him for marrying a mixed race woman and being declared a race traitor."
Neil also said many people claim to know the Duke of Sussex without ever having met him. He explained: "I know him well. I know him from once helping me open a conference on post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health in policing. He was brilliant with my people that day."
It is not yet known how long Harry and Meghan plan to remain in the UK.
