Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been classified as 'private citizens' rather than working royals despite their return to the United Kingdom, according to IOL. The classification was reportedly made by King Charles, underscoring the couple's continued distance from official royal duties. Harry and Meghan stepped back from their roles as senior working royals in 2020 and have since lived outside the royal fold. Their visit to the UK has renewed public attention on their status within the royal family and their relationship with the King.

King Charles III has confirmed that Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, remain non-working members of the royal family following their return to the United Kingdom. According to a letter sent on the king's behalf to senior government officials, the couple will continue to refrain from using their royal titles, as they have done since stepping back from official royal duties in 2020. The statement reiterates the couple's longstanding status within the monarchy.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly "surprised" by the timing of a Buckingham Palace letter clarifying their status as non-working members of the British Royal Family, according to Leadership (NG). The guidance, released on Monday, September 7, reiterated the official position on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The Palace directive reportedly caught the couple off guard, though details of the letter's full contents were not provided.

Vanguard News published a story headlined "King Charles classes Harry and Meghan as 'private citizens'." However, the accompanying feed text describes a separate claim by media personality Tosin Akinbo that stripping is among the highest-paying jobs in Lagos, with some strippers allegedly earning millions of naira in a single night, according to Akinbo. The available material does not provide further detail on the royal story referenced in the headline.

King Charles has clarified that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle remain non-working royals, reaffirming that the terms agreed in 2020 when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from royal duties and left the UK are still in place. The arrangement, known as the Sandringham Agreement, set out the couple's departure from official royal roles. According to KBC, the King's message emphasises that this position has not changed, ending speculation about a possible return to working royal status for the Sussexes.

Prince Harry will travel to the UK next week without his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet. This change in plans comes after it was confirmed that the family would not receive taxpayer-funded police protection during their visit, which was initially expected to include all members of the family.