King Charles III said in a letter Monday that Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, remain private citizens upon their return to the United Kingdom last month.

Charles, who authorized the letter's release to "help avoid doubt or confusion," said the couple are no longer working members of the royal family and will not use the titles "His or Her Royal Highness."

Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, stepped down as senior working members of the royal family in January 2020, and this position, the letter said, "will continue to be fully respected."

The letter said that any security issues are the responsibility of relevant police agencies and the couple's charity work will be carried out in a private capacity.

"In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests," said the letter, sent on behalf of the king by the Lord Chamberlain.

Palace sources suggested it was better to make the letter public, in a spirit of transparency, rather than risk it emerging in leaks.

News broke in late August that Harry and Meghan would be returning to Britain after six years in California. CBS News partner BBC News reported on Aug. 26 that the couple had arrived in the U.K. and are expected to live in the affluent Cotswolds region, about a two-hour drive west of London.

The pair's decision to step away from the royal family and move to California fueled considerable tension with other members of the family.

Harry lost a 2024 legal challenge against a government body's decision to downgrade his security detail on visits back to the U.K., following the announcement that he was stepping away from royal duties.

Harry and Meghan have two children, Archie, born in 2019, and Lilibet, born in 2021.

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