King Charles confirms he's standing by Queen Elizabeth's firm rule - and the timing left Harry and Meghan 'a little surprised'
Prince Harry and Meghan might be back in the UK but nothing else has changed as far as the monarch is concerned
The King is staunchly standing by one of Queen Elizabeth's strict rules and he's made it crystal clear - the Sussexes might be back in the UK but they're not back in the working royal fold. In a letter sent on his behalf by the Lord Chamberlain, Charles stated that Prince Harry and Meghan will still not use their HRH titles or carry out royal engagements.
"The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity," the King's letter continued.
The message was sent the evening before an official review of the couple's security, but the timing was significant in a more personal way too. September 8th is the fourth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's death and King Charles doubled down on her judgement of the Sussexes.
When Harry and Meghan first announced their intention to step back as working royals in 2020, the late Queen promptly shared her own statement. She didn't mince her words, either. Reports have suggested that Harry wanted a half-in half-out approach to royal life, yet Queen Elizabeth dashed her grandson's hopes.
Buckingham Palace confirmed, "While they can no longer formally represent The Queen, the Sussexes have made clear that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty. The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family."
There was no arguing with that and now King Charles has held firm to her words and shown his commitment to Queen Elizabeth's decision.
Releasing the message just before the fourth anniversary of her passing - and the anniversary of him becoming monarch - adds an extra layer of meaning and shows the continuity between the two.
Mother and son are still aligned in their view of the Sussex situation and the King is emphasising the clear line between him seeing more of his son personally and how the monarchy remains unaffected by the family's return. According to their spokesperson, the Duke and Duchess "were a little surprised not to have been told about" King Charles' letter "in advance".
However, as per the BBC, royal sources claim the Duke and Duchess were made aware of the letter before it went public. Prince Harry and Meghan moved back to the UK in August and have enrolled Archie and Lilibet in British schools starting this month.
A month earlier they enjoyed a special reunion with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire. This was seen as a positive step following Harry's open admission he would love a "reconciliation" with his family. Prince William didn't meet with his younger brother during the Sussexes' UK trip and in June, a royal source claimed to expert Duncan Larcombe in Woman that the King and Prince of Wales might have to make things clearer.
"There is an increasing view that the King and his heir may well have to try and draw a line in the sand when it comes to Harry and Meghan. They are acting as though the discussions with the late Queen never took place," they claimed.
Perhaps the King's message is this "line in the sand" the source predicted, but it definitely showed that Queen Elizabeth's decision remains unchanged.
