Harry and Meghan want to be called 'public figures' rather than 'private citizens' amid Buckingham Palace row

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle do not want to be treated as “private citizens” and instead wish to be seen as “public figures” following their return to the UK, it has been claimed.In a letter sent to the couple on behalf of King Charles, the monarch stated that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be working royals who are allowed to carry out official engagements.The letter, from royal aide Lord Benyon, makes clear that the couple cannot use their HRH styles, and any operational security issues involving them should be directed to the relevant police authorities.Harry and Meghan have already enrolled their children in British schools (Aaron Chown/PAPA WireIt also stated that any charity work they undertook would not be on behalf of the royal family.“In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests,” the letter stated.A spokesperson for the duke stated: “We were a little surprised to not have been told about this in advance.”The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with LilibetInstagram/MeghanThe letter is understood to have been shared with the Sussexes’ office at 1.59pm on Monday, 7 September, and 20 minutes later, staff responded and said it was keen to “clarify one or two points”.At 3.06pm, the letter was shared to the media, and the aides were told this at 3.11pm. Harry was in a meeting at the time and could not be contacted until 3.09pm. Buckingham Palace said that there was “nothing controversial or new” in the letter, when asked why the Sussexes might not need to be consulted.The couple are reportedly unhappy with the notion that they will be treated as private citizens. "The Sussexes prefer the term 'public figures', and would have liked an acknowledgement that, on a personal level, they remained members of the Royal Family, despite no longer receiving public funding,” the source told The Telegraph.Harry and Meghan returned to the UK over the summer (Aaron Chown/PA)PA ArchiveThe pair are reportedly worried that the timing of the letter was deliberate in an attempt to influence the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures ahead of their discussion on the couple’s security.Read MoreHowever, palace sources have dismissed this and stressed that the couple received the letter before it went live to the public.The Sussexes stepped down as working royals in 2020 amid the Megxit crisis and moved to the US for a new life of personal and financial freedom.But the couple has now moved back for an “extended period”, enrolling their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in British schools, amid rumours Meghan is to return to acting while based in the UK.