Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were not warned in advance that King Charles III would be sharing a letter about their royal status Monday.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were “a little surprised to have not been told about this,” a spokesperson for the pair told BBC on Tuesday.
The couple’s team reportedly received the letter, which dubbed them “private citizens with commercial and charitable interests,” just shy of 2 p.m. UK time.
Harry was contacted at 3:09 p.m. and told that his team had responded to the monarch’s letter with questions — only for it to be sent wide two minutes later.
Harry and Markle’s rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
Charles’ letter confirmed the duo, who recently relocated to the United Kingdom after six years away, will not be working royals carrying out official engagements.
“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,” the announcement, sent to the BBC on behalf of Charles by the family’s lord chamberlain, read.
“There is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” it continued. Their styles as His and Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used.”
Charles, 77, issued the letter “to help avoid doubt or confusion.”
Not only was it sent to Markle and Harry’s team but to the UK government, military and lord-lieutenants as well.
That same day, Harry was spotted for the first time in the United Kingdom since relocating from Montecito, California.
The former military pilot, 41, appeared at Tower Bridge Studios, two weeks after he and his wife touched down in England with their two kids.
Charles had not publicly reacted to the bombshell move before Monday’s letter.
He reportedly found out Harry and Markle were coming — with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5 — days before the public did.
We hear the move was motivated, in part, by Harry and Markle’s desire to be close to Charles.
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