King's letter clarifies Sussexes' non-working royal status
The King has written to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex formally confirming they are non-working royals, and the couple say they had only an hour's notice.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have expressed surprise at a formal letter from the King that clarified their position as non-working royals. The letter, which has since become public, unambiguously set out that they are no longer working royals, cannot use their HRH titles, and cannot carry out any royal engagements.
According to sources close to the couple, they were given only about an hour's advance notice that the letter would be sent to them and shared with the media. The lack of warning appears to have added to the tensions that continue to play out publicly as Harry and Meghan settle back into life in the UK.
The King's letter was described as pointed and unambiguous. It also comes alongside a separate issue that has long been a bone of contention, particularly for Prince Harry: security. This week, the committee that looks at royal security will meet to discuss what levels of police protection the couple will receive now that they are moving back to live in the UK.
The couple's return to the UK has already been marked by a degree of scratchiness, and this latest development appears to have worsened the mood. The letter has been seen as a clear and formal restatement of their status, leaving little room for ambiguity about their role within the royal family.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| The couple were given about an hour's notice before the letter was sent to the media. | |
| The King's letter confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are no longer working royals. | |
| The royal security committee will meet this week to discuss police protection levels for the Sussexes. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel focused on the couple's surprise and the pointed nature of the King's letter, while also highlighting the ongoing security dispute. The tone was neutral but conveyed a sense of underlying tension, describing the situation as 'scratchy' and 'public'. It also mentioned the lack of advance warning as a key point of contention.
- “There do seem to be some tensions here and also some degree of scratchiness as Prince Harry and Meghan settle back into life in the UK.”
- “It unambiguously set out that they were no longer working royals.”
- “According to sources close to the couple, they only had about an hour's advance notice of this letter, not just that it was going to be sent to them, but also that it was going to be shared with the media.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.