Buckingham Palace made a letter public on Monday, September 7, 2026, stating that Prince Harry and Meghan’s standing in the Royal Family has not changed: they remain non-working members, a position set six years ago and untouched by their recent move back to Britain.
Lord Richard Benyon, the Lord Chamberlain — the most senior official in the Royal Household — sent the letter on the King’s behalf to government ministers, military leaders and the King’s regional representatives, known as Lord Lieutenants. It was shared with Harry’s team before the palace released it publicly the same day.
The letter is direct about the history: “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,” it states, adding that this arrangement “continues to be fully respected.”
Key facts
- Released: Monday, September 7, 2026, by Buckingham Palace
- Sent by: Lord Richard Benyon, the Lord Chamberlain, reportedly in the post since November 2024
- Recipients: Government ministers, military leaders, and the King’s regional representatives (Lord Lieutenants)
- Core message: Harry and Meghan remain non-working members of the Royal Family, a status unchanged since January 2020
- Titles: They keep Duke and Duchess of Sussex; the “His and Her Royal Highness” style remains in abeyance since January 2020, formalized by palace statement in February 2021
- Return to the UK: Harry, Meghan and their children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, moved back from Montecito, California, in August 2026
- Still unresolved: Publicly funded police protection for Harry in the UK, under review with no timeline announced
Why now
Harry, Meghan and their two children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, moved from their home in Montecito, California, back to the UK in August 2026 for an extended stay, although reporting has not officially confirmed that the move is permanent. They have been described as staying in a private, non-royal residence, but the exact location has not been made public, and no reason has been given publicly for why the family chose this particular time to return. The children have reportedly been enrolled in British schools this term — Archie in Year 3, Lilibet in Year 1 — though the schools’ names have not been made public, for security and privacy reasons; one of the private schools sent a letter to parents addressing speculation about their enrollment.
That return is what prompted the letter. A Buckingham Palace source told NBC News it was issued “to help avoid doubt or confusion” after officials made a number of requests for guidance on how to treat the couple now that they are living in Britain again. It has been reported as the first time the King or the palace has publicly addressed the couple’s 2026 move. The palace reportedly shared the letter with Harry’s team before making it public, in part to pre-empt leaks.
What actually changed: nothing
Online claims have circulated that Harry and Meghan lost their titles. No high-trust reporting backs that up. They keep the titles Duke and Duchess of Sussex; what remains off-limits to them is a separate honorific, the “His and Her Royal Highness” style, and that restriction has been in place since Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in January 2020 — formalized in a Buckingham Palace statement the following year, in February 2021, when their military appointments and royal patronages were returned to the Queen for redistribution. “There is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” the letter states. “Their styles as His and Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used.”
Their charity and business work gets the same treatment: the letter describes it as entirely private, “a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity,” adding that “their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.”
Timeline
- January 2020: Harry and Meghan step down from royal duties and become non-working members of the Royal Family
- February 2021: Buckingham Palace formally confirms the change in a statement — the “His and Her Royal Highness” style falls into abeyance, and their military appointments and patronages are redistributed
- November 2024: Lord Richard Benyon reportedly becomes Lord Chamberlain
- June 2026: RAVEC reportedly declines a full police protection package for Harry, offering coverage only inside royal residences
- August 2026: Harry, Meghan and their children move from Montecito, California, to the UK
- September 7, 2026: Buckingham Palace makes the letter public, confirming no change to the couple’s non-working status
What the letter does not settle
The letter does not resolve Harry’s long-running dispute over publicly funded police protection in the UK, which was withdrawn after he and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020. On that question it says only that “operational security decisions are matters for the relevant police agencies,” directing any questions about courtesies involving public funds to Buckingham Palace instead. Around June 2026, RAVEC — the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, the government body that decides who gets police protection — reportedly turned down a full protection package for Harry’s stay, offering coverage only while the family is inside a royal residence; RAVEC has not publicly explained why it declined full coverage. A further review is reportedly under way, but as of September 8, 2026 no new decision has been announced and no timeline for one has been given.
As of September 8, 2026, Harry and Meghan’s representatives had not issued a public response to the letter.
Divided reaction
Royal correspondents are split on how much the letter actually means. Palace officials told Rebecca English its substance was “nothing new.” Chris Ship, another royal correspondent, took a different view: he questioned why guidance normally kept internal was made public at all, and asked whether it amounted to the King publicly telling the couple to “get back in their box.” Neither reading has been confirmed as the palace’s actual intent, and the letter itself does not address the couple’s personal relationship with the King.