King Charles III has issued a formal letter confirming that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain barred from using their royal highness titles, according to a statement from the Lord Chamberlain’s office provided to the BBC.
Titles remain suspended following 2020 agreement
The clarification reinforces the terms established when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back as senior working royals in early 2020. Under that agreement, the couple retained their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles but agreed to no longer use the style “His and Her Royal Highness” in any official capacity.
The Lord Chamberlain, the most senior official in the Royal Household, confirmed to the BBC that the King’s correspondence makes clear this restriction remains in effect. The palace has not released the full text of the letter, but the briefing underscores that the 2020 arrangement has not been altered.
Context of the royal transition
When the Sussexes announced their intention to “step back” from royal duties, Buckingham Palace stated that while they would continue to be known as His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex, they would not actively use the HRH prefix. The decision was framed as a practical measure reflecting their new non-working royal status.
Since relocating to California, the couple has pursued commercial ventures, media production deals, and philanthropic work through their Archewell Foundation. They have consistently used “Duke and Duchess of Sussex” in professional contexts, in line with the palace agreement.
No change to constitutional position
Royal sources emphasize that the letter does not signal a shift in the family’s approach. The titles of Prince and Princess, along with the dukedom, were bestowed by the late Queen Elizabeth II and remain intact. The restriction applies solely to the active use of the HRH style, which is traditionally reserved for working members of the Royal Family undertaking official duties on behalf of the monarch.
The Lord Chamberlain’s office, which coordinates ceremonial and administrative functions of the Royal Household, rarely comments publicly on private correspondence. Its decision to brief the BBC suggests a desire to eliminate ambiguity amid ongoing public and media speculation about the couple’s standing within the institution.
