Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have only been back in the UK for a matter of days, but they have already resumed hostilities with Buckingham Palace.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to be “surprised” that King Charles III communicated his desire for them to remain non-working members of the royal family after they initially left the UK in 2020.
In a letter sent on behalf of the King on Monday, senior Palace official Lord Chamberlain 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.”
In a coordinated briefing to UK media on Tuesday, a person close to Harry and Meghan said the couple “were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance.” Royal sources told BBC News that Prince Harry and Markle were made aware of the letter before it was made public.
Deadline has contacted a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The Lord Chamberlain’s letter continued: “Any specific questions from official and state organizations about the courtesies which should be extended to the Duke and Duchess, and particularly where recourse to public funds may be required, should be directed to Buckingham Palace.”
On Prince Harry and Markle’s security arrangements, the letter added: “Any operational security issues should continue to be directed to the relevant police authorities.”
Deadline reported on Monday that BBC News’ coverage of Harry and Markle‘s decision to move back to the UK prompted viewer complaints.
The BBC revealed that audience members contacted the UK broadcaster to raise concerns that it was dedicating “too much” airtime to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The BBC did not disclose how many complaints it received from disgruntled viewers, but rejected the concerns in a notice published on its website.
“We believe our approach to this story was proportionate, offering legitimate analysis of the different implications,” the BBC said.
