00:00Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly caught off guard when King Charles clarified
00:04their royal status just weeks after the couple moved back to the UK. The couple's spokesperson
00:09told the BBC that their team received a letter from the monarch shortly before 2pm UK time on
00:15September 7th. Harry was reportedly contacted at 3.09pm and told that his team had responded to
00:21the letter with questions, only for the letter to be sent to the media two minutes later. The
00:25message sent on Charles' behalf by the family's Lord Chamberlain confirmed that Harry and Meghan
00:30will not become working royals again now that they have returned to Britain. The letter said
00:35there was no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Their styles as his and
00:41her royal highness remain in abeyance and are not used. It also described the couple as private
00:47citizens with commercial and charitable interests. The clarification was sent to help avoid doubt or
00:52confusion and was reportedly sent not only to Harry and Meghan's team, but also to the UK government,
00:58military, and lord lieutenants. The announcement came just two weeks after Harry and Meghan returned
01:03to the UK with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, for an extended period. The
01:08couple had been living in Montecito, California since 2020 when they stepped back as working members
01:13of the royal family. Page Six previously reported that their return was motivated in part by a desire
01:18to be closer to Charles, who is battling cancer, and to give their children more of an opportunity
01:23to build relationships with Harry's family. But the move apparently came as a surprise to the king
01:28himself. Charles was reportedly only informed of Harry and Meghan's plans days before the news became
01:33public, and now royal sources say Harry has not spoken to his father since arriving back in the UK.
01:39According to the Mirror, Charles and the rest of the royal family were blindsided by Harry and Meghan's
01:43decision to move back. One source described the king as perplexed that Harry had not kept him
01:48informed, particularly after Harry has spoken publicly about wanting to reconcile with his
01:53family. The source also questioned how the family could understand the Sussexes' plans when Harry was
01:58allegedly keeping them in the dark about major decisions like moving back to Britain. That tension
02:03comes despite Charles making an effort to reconnect with the Sussexes early this year. In July, the king
02:08invited Harry, Meghan, and their children to his country home, Highgrove. Queen Camilla also attended the
02:13reunion, which marked the first time Charles had seen Archie and Lilibet in four years. Despite the
02:18family's return, Harry and Meghan will remain outside of working royal structure. The king's
02:23letter also ruled out the possibility of the couple having a half-in-half-out role, meaning they
02:27cannot carry out official royal duties while simultaneously pursuing their independent
02:32businesses. And their return has raised another major issue, security. Harry and Meghan return to
02:37Britain without taxpayer-funded police protection and are reportedly waiting for an answer from the UK
02:42home office about whether they will receive long-term security. A friend close to the couple told to
02:47Telegraph that the family's planned school runs could create the most danger for them. Harry has
02:51argued that his family's circumstances have changed significantly since his previous security
02:55assessment and that his concerns have become a major part of his ongoing dispute over protection
03:00in the UK. Royal commentators have also questioned exactly what the Sussexes' return means for their
03:05future. One theory is that the couple is trying to have the best of both worlds, maintaining their
03:09businesses and connections in the United States, while also having access to Britain and proximity
03:14to the royal family. Royal commentator Kinsey Shofield described the move as more of a trial run than a
03:19definitive homecoming. The couple is reportedly looking for a home in Britain while continuing to
03:24maintain ties in Montecito, and their children are expected to attend a British school. But the
03:28Sussexes' return is unfolding at the same time as a major new chapter for another member of the royal
03:33family. 13-year-old Prince George has officially started at Eton College. Prince William and Kate
03:38Middleton accompanied their eldest son to the prestigious Berkshire boarding school on September
03:428th, braving the rain for his first day. George initially wore a black suit, blue tie, and brown
03:47shoes, matching his father, before changing into Eton's traditional uniform. He was later photographed
03:52in his official school portraits wearing a black tailcoat, waistcoat, pinstripe trousers, and stiff
03:57collared white shirt, smiling as he posed for the cameras. The milestone is particularly significant
04:02for William, who also attended Eton and started there at the exact same age. Prince Harry attended the
04:07school as well from 1998 to 2003. But George will experience his time at Eton in a very different
04:13world from the one his father and uncle knew. Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield said George's
04:17biggest challenge may not be academics or making friends, but balancing his privacy with the reality
04:23that quote, every classmate has TikTok. George is also expected to have his own room while remaining
04:28immersed in the school's social environment and athletics program. So as George begins his journey
04:32at a school steeped in royal history, Harry and Meghan are beginning a very different chapter back in
04:37Britain, one that despite their physical return, does not include a return to royal duties.
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