The Duke and Duchess of Sussex should expect more damning statements about their non-working royal status, a royal expert has warned.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's insistence on carrying out engagements that resemble royal duties while simultaneously claiming they are not working royals will mean things are "going to get ugly," Shelagh Fogarty has claimed.
King Charles' letter
King Charles issued a letter clarifying the couple would remain non-working royals and should be treated as such following their unexpected return to the UK. The Sussexes responded with a statement expressing their "surprise" at the letter, before palace officials insisted the couple had received it before it was released publicly.
Ms Fogarty, an LBC presenter and journalist, said the couple will continue to receive statements from King Charles on their status as non-working royals as they try to navigate life in the UK.
'It's going to get ugly'
Ms Fogarty criticised the couple over their plans to carve out a new royal future in the UK while also claiming they are not working royals.
"Look at their recent visit to Australia," she said. "It was a success. But it looked like a royal tour. It walked like a royal tour. It was a royal tour."
"And I suspect that's part of what the King's letter was trying to address," Ms Fogarty claimed. "I think Harry and Meghan will find more and more examples of this. I think it's going to get ugly."
"Because they insist on living a life that looks almost exactly like that of working members of the Royal Family, while also insisting they aren't."
Australia tour controversy
In April 2026, the Sussexes undertook their privately funded "faux royal" tour of Australia. The four-day visit saw the couple operating strictly as private citizens, balancing high-priced commercial appearances - including Harry's keynote address at a Sydney psychosocial summit and Meghan's guest spots at a luxury wellness retreat and MasterChef Australia - with a demanding schedule of humanitarian visits.
During their stay, the couple visited a children's hospital, military veteran foundations and a women's refuge. They also met with volunteer first responders and survivors of the December 2025 Bondi Beach attack in Sydney to pay their respects.
The trip was quickly overshadowed by controversy after Meghan was accused of exploiting her visit to the memorial site for commercial gain. The backlash erupted after OneOff, an AI-driven fashion platform in which the Duchess is an investor, published a shoppable advertisement featuring her casual designer outfit alongside images of the Bondi survivors. Following widespread public outrage, the platform quietly removed the survivors' images from the commercial campaign.
