A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex says they “were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance”, after the letter setting out their status was made public (NBC News; Images Dawn).
The dispute over notice
Royal sources say the couple were made aware of the letter — sent on Monday afternoon — before its release. Their team had it roughly an hour before it went to the media.
Both accounts can be true at once, which is what makes the disagreement worth reporting. “Told in advance” and “an hour’s notice” are not contradictory statements of fact; they are competing descriptions of the same hour.
What the letter did
Sent on Monday on behalf of King Charles, it confirmed the couple are not working members of the royal family, that their His and Her Royal Highness styles are not used, and that any engagements they undertake are private and do not represent the royal family.
This newspaper reported the letter on 8 September, and noted then that the wording placed the styles in abeyance rather than removing them.
What happens next
Ravec — the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, which decides taxpayer-funded protection for public figures — is due to meet this week to assess the Sussexes’ security arrangements now that they are living in Britain.
That is the consequential decision, and it is not a matter of titles. Harry has litigated his security status before. A committee ruling on protection for a family living in the Cotswolds engages a different set of questions from one ruling on visits from California.
What is not established
No date or outcome has been reported for the Ravec meeting, and the palace has not commented on the Sussexes’ account of the notice they were given.
[Image: AFP via Dawn Images]
