Prince Harry and Meghan’s new title request as they reject ‘private citizens’.TA
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are building a new life in the Cotswolds, but were taken aback by the King’s letter
King says Meghan and Harry not working royals despite UK return
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly revealed the titles they would prefer to use as they return to the UK after the King referred to them as “private citizens”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a spectacular return to Britain in late August, and are said to be settling down in Oxfordshire with Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, enrolled in local schools. Their arrival in the UK has prompted King Charles III to clarify the Sussexes’ position and titles.
In the letter, sent to senior government and military officials, Charles said Harry and Meghan would continue to refrain from using the formal royal titles, such as His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness, as they have since stepping back from official royal duties in 2020.
It added that any charity work carried out by the couple will be carried out in a “private capacity”.
Harry and Meghan during a public trip to Australia in April (Image: Getty)
The controversy comes on the fourth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing (Image: Getty)
The letter, released to media on Monday (September 7) took the Duke and Duchess aback. Reports from multiple UK news outlets have emerged claiming Harry and Meghan want to be known as “public figures” instead.
The Sussexes would prefer “public figures” as they feel it would “acknowledge that, on a personal level, they remained members of the Royal Family, despite no longer receiving public funding”, a briefing note from the couple said, according to the Daily Mail.
They also “were a little surprised not to have been told about” the King’s letter “in advance”, a spokesperson for the pair said.
Insiders said the Sussexes’ team was only given an hour’s notice to digest its contents before it was made public. They also said Harry only had two minutes to read the letter before it was published, as he was in a meeting in London and could not be reached sooner.
Meghan has still not been seen in public yet, but has reportedly had coffee at Soho Farmhouse, an ultra-luxurious private members club frequented by the Beckhams and Paul McCartney in Oxfordshire, where the duo are said to be staying.
The Express has contacted Buckingham Palace and represenatives for Harry and Meghan for comment.
Migrant taxi boat arrives at popular beach before nine men jump off and wade ashore
Children were playing a stone’s throw away as the migrants, who had travelled on a boat, arrived on the popular beach.
Spain: Migrant boat arrives at popular beach in Níjar
Sunseekers were left stunned as a group of migrants waded ashore at an idyllic beach in Spain. Shocking footage shows the nine men jumping from a ‘taxi boat’ yards from the shore, before making their way through the shallow waters and onto the beach while children play nearby.
The scenes were reportedly filmed at Playa de San José in Níjar, south-east Spain, on Saturday (September 6). The beach is in the heart of the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park. The coastline of Níjar, in Almería Province, is a popular arrival point for boats travelling from North Africa.
Children were playing nearby as the migrants made their way off a ‘taxi beach’ (Image: Jam Press)
Nine migrants got off the ‘taxi boat’ at Playa de San José in Níjar, south-east Spain (Image: Jam Press)
The incident came just a week after Spanish authorities rescued nine Algerian men from a boat around 41 miles off the coast.
The vessel departed from Oran, north-west Algeria, and had been adrift for 38 hours, according to reports.
Anger over illegal immigration reached a high point in Britain over the weekend.
The migrants reportedly arrived at the beach in south-east Spain on Saturday (September 6) (Image: Jam Press)
Crowds of masked men blocked road access to the Port of Dover in a “stop the boats” protest on Saturday.
This was followed by official vehicles being damaged and a handful of police officers being injured in a tense stand-off with anti-migrant protesters overnight on Sunday in Portsmouth.
Almería Province remains the main point of irregular entry along the Andalusian coastline.
Although figures for 2026 show a decline compared with the previous year, migrant landings and rescues have continued week after week.
During August, boats carrying more than 150 people in total reached or were intercepted along the Almería coast.
Local media reports that western Almería has also become a hotspot for an illegal trade in fake documents linked to immigration procedures.
Criminal networks are allegedly helping migrants obtain legal status using fake address registrations, sham rental agreements and bogus jobs.
Nearby towns including Roquetas de Mar, El Ejido and Vícar have reportedly become hubs for the trade.
Police investigations have uncovered hundreds of allegedly fraudulent documents and registrations.
In Roquetas de Mar, Operation “Tabula Rasa” led to 18 arrests and uncovered 188 fraudulent address registrations.
