King Charles III was informed of the decision on Sunday, and there are no plans for Prince Harry or Meghan to resume their royal duties, CBS News’ partner network BBC News reported. Harry’s brother, Prince William, and Princess Catherine were also told, according to BBC News.
The couple said in January 2020 they would be stepping away from “senior” royal roles and were working to become financially independent from the royal family.
“This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity,” they said in a statement at the time.
Prince Harry and Meghan now have two children, Archie, born in 2019, and Lilibet, born in 2021. Both are enrolled to start school in the U.K. in September, BBC News reported.
Buckingham Palace then confirmed in February 2021 that the couple were no longer working members of the royal family. The pair’s decisions to step away from their roles and move to California have created considerable tension with other members of the royal family.
Those tensions were elevated further when Harry and Meghan sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, during which they discussed their struggles behind the scenes with the royals.
Among other topics, Meghan recounted conversations about how their son, Archie, would not be given the title of prince and how he wouldn’t have security, and said there were discussions while she was pregnant about “how dark” Archie’s skin color would be.
Harry, meanwhile, said in that interview that he was “disappointed” with his father, King Charles III, and that he and his brother were “on different paths.”
Harry, Meghan and their children traveled to the U.K. last month and met with King Charles for the first time in years, although the move was not discussed during that visit, BBC News reported. That trip was not without controversy.
BBC News reported prior to the visit that Harry was reconsidering bringing his wife and children on the trip because his request for taxpayer-funded police protection was rejected by British authorities.
The Duke of Sussex had previously lost a court battle in 2024 over the decision to downgrade his security detail when he makes visits back to the U.K. following the announcement that he was stepping away from royal duties.
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