Meghan Markle and Prince Harry reportedly dislike the term "working members of the Royal Family," according to a friend of the couple. The source told The Sunday Times that the phrase is "a really lazy phrase. He hates it; she hates it."
The couple, who stepped down as working members of the Royal Family in 2020, prefer to view themselves as "members of the Royal Family, and they work," the friend said. They added: "They are not 'working' for the institution, but they are members of the Royal Family, and they work. Their days are built around their family life and their work. She's running a business seven days a week."
Return to the UK
The couple returned to the UK in August, six years after stepping down as working members of the Royal Family. They stood as two members of the family for two years after tying the knot in Windsor in May 2018, before moving to the US with their young son, Prince Archie, in 2020.
Meghan and Harry later welcomed their daughter in California and are now thought to be living somewhere in the Cotswolds with their two children.
Visit to Nottingham
The friend also spoke about their recent visit to Nottingham, where they undertook three separate engagements. They added: "Things like Nottingham aren't done in the name of the institution or the Crown, but Harry is the son of the king, he is still a member of the Royal Family, he's just not a member of the institution."
"It's misleading to call them 'former royals,'" they added, "It has an impact on how they're perceived and the way people talk about them."
Meghan and Harry were "genuinely thrilled" with how well their visit to Nottingham turned out. As the couple made their way to their first visit of the day, the city's Community Recording Studio (CRS), between 150 and 200 people arrived to warmly welcome them. The couple then moved into their second visit: the Himmah Hub, a community action group addressing food poverty in Nottingham. They finally made their way to Epic Partners in Nottingham, their last stop of the day.
Speaking after last week's visit, a spokesperson for the couple told PEOPLE: "Everyone came away feeling really positive and genuinely thrilled by the love and support they received."
Letter from the King
This comes after a letter was released last month on behalf of the King that, in no uncertain terms, made it clear that Harry, 42, and Meghan, 45, would not be resuming their working royal roles upon their move back to Britain. It also added that they would not use their respective HRH titles. The letter referred to the couple as "private citizens with commercial and charitable interests."
A source also told the publication that fans are more likely to see Harry out and about than Meghan, adding: "They might do one or two more things together before the end of the year. You'll see him out and about a bit more than her."
