LONDON — Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, were “surprised” by a letter sent on behalf of King Charles III that confirmed they remain nonworking members of the royal family after their return to Britain, a spokesperson for the couple told NBC News on Tuesday.Buckingham Palace released the letter Monday, reiterating that Harry and Meghan remained non-working royals as they have since they stepped down from royal duties in January 2020.A palace source said the letter was issued to clarify the unchanged position of the couple for the British government and military amid questions over whether the public should fund their security.
It was put into the public domain because it likely would have leaked anyway and the palace wanted to avoid claims of secrecy around what it contained, they said.But a spokesman for Harry and Meghan told NBC News that the duke and duchess were “surprised” by the letter and were not given an opportunity to contribute to its contents.The contents of the letter were shared with the couple’s staff a few hours before it was released, according to a spokesperson for the Sussexes.A Buckingham Palace source confirmed to NBC News that the letter had been shared with Harry’s team on Monday.
Prince Harry and Meghan in Duesseldorf, Germany in 2023.Joshua Sammer / Getty Images fileA spokesman for Harry and Meghan told NBC News that a government committee was meeting this week, perhaps as early as Tuesday, to discuss whether to provide security for the duke and duchess now they have moved back to the U.K.The Home Office, the government department responsible for the protection of public figures, declined to respond directly when asked by NBC News, citing security concerns.A palace source said on Monday that it was up to the security committee to decide whether to allocate security for the prince and his family.The couple moved from California last month for an “extended” stay with their children Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5....