Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were left "surprised" by a public letter confirming their status as non-working royals, a spokesperson for the couple has said.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were "a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance", their representative said in a statement on Tuesday.
The letter on Monday was sent by the Lord Chamberlain, a senior palace official, on behalf of King Charles, confirming the couple are not working royals, will not use the titles of "His and Her Royal Highness", and will remain "private citizens".
It was sent to Prince Harry's team before it was made public on Monday afternoon, and was addressed to government departments, military officials, and Lord Lieutenants.
© Getty ImagesHowever, it's understood that the couple "did not have time to clarify" the guidance.
Royal aide Lord Benyon, whose office is responsible for organising the King’s ceremonial and public-facing events, said any operational security issues should be directed to the relevant police authorities.
It came nearly two weeks after Prince Harry and Meghan's return to Britain for an "extended stay" after stepping down as working royals in 2020 and moving to Montecito in California.
The timing of the Lord Chamberlain's letter revealed
The letter was revealed to the media at 3.06 pm on Monday.
It is understood the contents were shared with Harry and Meghan’s team almost an hour before at 1.59 pm.
Team Sussex sent a response back to Buckingham Palace at 2.19 pm asking whether the guidance had already gone out, in the hope of letting the Duke and Duchess know ahead of the media, and for the team to have the chance to clarify one or two points.
© Getty ImagesMeanwhile, Harry, who was pictured at Tower Bridge Studios in London in an Instagram post by the recording studios on Monday, was in a meeting and could not be contacted until 3.09 pm when he was told a letter had been drafted and his team was seeking guidance on whether it had been distributed.
Team Sussex then received confirmation at 3.11 pm that it had already been sent to the media.
What did the Lord Chamberlain's letter say?
Lord Benyon’s letter reiterated the King’s stance in August, when Harry and Meghan announced their return, that there would be no alteration to their role and status as private individuals and non-working royals.
It read: "It follows that there is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
"Their styles as His and Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used.
© Justin Goff Photos/Getty Images"The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity. In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests."
The letter was revealed ahead of a reported meeting this week of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which is responsible for making decisions about royal security.
Harry is waiting to hear the conclusion of the Risk Management Board’s threat assessment, and Ravec is expected to decide at the meeting as to whether the Sussex family should be entitled to taxpayer-funded security now they live in the UK.
Prince Harry and Meghan's most recent plans
HELLO! revealed last week that Meghan's charity Smart Works is "excited" to welcome her back to the UK, while other reports suggested she could be looking to reignite her charitable endeavours in Britain.
On Monday, she shared a new photograph from her As Ever brand account, showing her relaxing on the grass with the couple's black Labrador, Pula, after her latest product, the spiced apple butter, sold out in just days.
© Tower Bridge StudiosMeanwhile, Harry appeared to hint at potential upcoming plans when he was photographed at Tower Studios.
Tuesday marks the fourth anniversary of the late Queen Elizabeth II, after she passed away at Balmoral Castle aged 96 in 2022.
It's also a big day for the Wales family, as Prince George officially starts as a pupil at Eton College in Windsor.
