Harry and Meghan Tuesday hit out at the King’s decision to label them ‘private citizens’ be ause rhey prefer to be called ‘public figures’ instead.
Buckingham Palace on Monday released a letter of ‘guidance’ on the monarch’s behalf, confirming the couple were not returning to the UK as working royals.
The couple are said to be surprised at the King’s letter, claiming they only had one hour’s notice of it being made public.
Team Sussex has suggested that, despite being given just over an hour’s notice of the impending release, Palace aides did not give Harry enough time to ‘clarify one or two points’ in the letter written by the Lord Chamberlain on His Majesty’s instruction.
In particular, the Sussexes seem to have taken issue with the statement that they should not be treated like royalty. ‘In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests,’ the letter read.
The Palace also made the point the letter was in full accordance with the Sussexes’ stated wish to remain ‘private citizens while in the UK’ and in keeping with the ‘Sandringham Summit’ agreement of 2020, after which the couple set up a new life in the US.
This prompted a jaw-dropping briefing yesterday, which read: ‘The duke is understood to have taken particular issue with the notion that the couple were to be treated as private citizens. If that were the case, it was claimed, such formal guidance would not be required.’
The Sussexes prefer the term ‘public figures’, and would have liked an acknowledgement that, on a personal level, they remained members of the Royal Family, despite no longer receiving public funding.
Harry is now trying to pursue a reversal of said ruling.
