Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's spokesperson had revealed that they were taken aback after King Charles issued a letter reaffirming that their return to the UK has not changed their status within the Royal Family. Yet while the letter itself largely reiterates an arrangement established years ago, its timing has reportedly left the Duke and Duchess of Sussex surprised. The development comes only weeks after the couple relocated to Britain with their children.

As it turns out now, the Sussexes may be back in Britain, but their latest royal clarification apparently arrived with less warning than expected. 

A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle told the BBC that the couple “were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance.” PEOPLE, however, reported that the Sussexes’ team received the guidance at 1:59 p.m. UK time on September 7, shortly before it was circulated publicly. The spokesperson’s comments came after the letter, issued on behalf of King Charles by Lord Chamberlain of the Household, Lord Richard Benyon, formally reiterated that the couple remain non-working members of the Royal Family.

But palace sources dispute the Sussexes' account, telling the BBC that Prince Harry and Markle were, in fact, informed in advance. According to PEOPLE, on the other hand, their team sent questions back to Buckingham Palace at 2:19 pm, while the Prince was in a meeting and could not be reached until 3:09 pm. By 3:11 pm, the team was informed that the letter had already been sent to the media.

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In hindsight, the letter did not create a new royal arrangement, but it made one thing unmistakably clear about the Sussexes’ return.

Rather than announcing a new policy, the letter reaffirmed the terms established when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped away from official royal duties in January 2020. It stated that there had been “no change” to their status, that their HRH styles remain in abeyance and are not used, and that their charitable work is undertaken privately. It also described their position as akin to that of private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.

The letter was issued on Monday, following “a number of requests for guidance” after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to relocate to the UK.

While the guidance seems to have been shared with the Sussexes’ team before its contents became public, the timing is particularly notable because the Sussexes have now established a private home base in Britain after six years in California. Moreover, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are preparing to attend school in the UK. The kind of permanence all this entails has inevitably raised questions about whether greater proximity to the Royal Family could mean a change in their public role.

The palace’s guidance appears intended to settle that question before the family’s new chapter in Britain gathers further momentum.

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What do you think of the Sussexes' reaction to their reiterated royal status? Let us know in the comments.