King Charles III and Prince William are "completely united" that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won't represent the Royal Family in an official capacity, according to royal author Russell Myers, reinforcing a position the Palace formally restated this month following the Sussexes' return to Britain.
Myers told PEOPLE that while Charles and William may differ in how they handle their personal relationships with Harry and Meghan, they are aligned on the institutional question of whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have any role representing the monarchy. The position is consistent with guidance issued at the King's direction on Sept. 7.
"They are completely united in that Harry and Meghan do not represent the Royal Family," Myers said, adding that the King and Prince of Wales are "in sync" on the matter.
The distinction has become more prominent since Harry and Meghan returned to live in Britain with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, after six years in California. Their relocation stirred speculation over whether renewed proximity to the family could lead to a revived royal role, but the Palace has made clear that their status hasn't changed.
A formal letter authorized by Charles and circulated to senior British officials this month reaffirmed that Harry and Meghan stepped away from representative duties for the sovereign in January 2020. It also said their commercial and charitable activities are undertaken privately and that they should be treated in practical terms as private citizens rather than working royals.
The letter further restated that their HRH styles remain in abeyance under the arrangements agreed when they left full-time royal duties. Reuters reported that Harry and Meghan were surprised by the timing and manner in which the clarification was distributed, though it didn't alter the underlying agreement reached with the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Behind that institutional unity, however, Charles and William are reported to be taking different approaches to Harry personally.
Harry met Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove in July and has had at least limited communication with his father since returning to Britain in August, according to PEOPLE. Harry and William, by contrast, aren't known to have spoken directly since the move.
Myers said William accepts that whatever relationship Charles chooses to maintain with Harry and Meghan is the King's decision. At the same time, he said the Prince of Wales currently has no intention of rebuilding either a private or professional relationship with the Sussexes.
That characterization comes from royal reporting rather than an official statement from Kensington Palace. William has not publicly announced that he has permanently ruled out reconciliation with Harry, and commentary describing his private reaction to Charles's contacts with the Sussexes remains unconfirmed.
Several commentators have claimed William was unhappy with the degree of access Harry and Meghan have received since returning to Britain, including their presence on royal property. Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace haven't publicly endorsed those accounts.
The King's Sept. 7 intervention was more procedural. Reuters reported that the letter was sent after questions were raised by officials over how Harry and Meghan should be treated following their relocation, particularly given their continued public profile, commercial interests and charitable work.
The guidance stated that the arrangements made in 2020 "continue to be fully respected" and reinforced that charity work undertaken by the couple is "a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity," according to Reuters.
That means the Sussexes can continue their philanthropic, media and commercial activities without those projects being treated as work on behalf of the Crown. Meghan's lifestyle ventures and the couple's broader charitable activities remain separate from the official duties performed by working members of the monarchy.
Their physical return to Britain therefore hasn't produced a constitutional or institutional change. Harry remains the King's son and retains his place in the line of succession, but neither he nor Meghan has resumed public duties on behalf of the sovereign.
