Rules Set by King Charles for Harry and Meghan’s Return Confirm Their Banishment From Royal Inner Circle

King Charles III is setting the rules of engagement for the return of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Britain — and erecting a firewall between the Sussexes and the rest of the House of Windsor by ordaining that “that there is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.” The royal modus operandi was laid out, the BBC reports, in a letter sent to the Sussexes by the Lord Chamberlain, the most senior officer of the Royal Household. That post, which dates to the Middle Ages, is now held by Baron Benyon. The king’s letter decrees that the Sussexes, who returned to Britain last month after six years in California, will not be working royals allowed to carry out official engagements. Prince Harry and Meghan will also be barred from using the “HRH” titles of His and Her Royal Highness — the titles will remain “in abeyance” as they remain “private citizens.” Those terms were first handed down by Queen Elizabeth II in 2020 in what is known as the “Sandringham Agreement” named after the royal residence. They have now been confirmed by her son. The Beeb reckons that the letter amounts to “something of a shot across the bows, making clear that any Prince Harry and Meghan visits should not be treated as royal engagements.” The royal missive explains that “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 letter adds that 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.” Prince Harry is a patron of the Invictus Games as well as WellChild and Archwell Philanthropies. The king also decrees that “any operational security issues should continue to be directed to the relevant police authorities.” The question of the security arrangements for the Sussexes has been an issue of much angst for Prince Harry. When he and Meghan stepped back from their roles as “working royals,” the British Home Office dictated that their security be provided on a case-by-case basis rather than comprehensively. Prince Harry has unsuccessfully appealed that decision, claiming that it puts his family at risk.The decision on security is made by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, a subdivision of the Home Office. One member of that committee is the private secretary to the Sovereign, Sir Clive Alderton. Sir Clive, the senior member of the Royal Household, is so despised by Prince Harry that the royal referred to him as “The Wasp” in his memoir from 2023, “Spare.” The courtier, though, has announced he will retire in March.After the hammering out of the Sandringham Agreement in 2020 the Sussexes decamped for California, where they struck lucrative content deals with Spotify and Netflix for tens of millions of dollars. The prince also received a $20 million advance for “Spare,” which went on to become one of the bestselling non-fiction books of modern times. Reports have indicated that the duchess intends to return to the acting career she renounced when she married into the House of Windsor, though no tangible plans have been announced.Reports have indicated that the Sussexes, who have already enrolled their children — Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet — in school, intend to live somewhere at the Cotswolds, a rural retreat of rolling hills and medial thatched villages some two hours outside of London. William Prince of Wales has yet to comment on the return of his brother to the realm he will one day rule after the demise of their father the king.

Rules Set by King Charles for Harry and Meghan’s Return Confirm Their Banishment From Royal Inner Circle

Rules Set by King Charles for Harry and Meghan’s Return Confirm Their Banishment From Royal Inner Circle

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