Harry And Meghan Accused Of “Playing With Fire” After King Charles Letter Row — Former MP Warns Sussexes Have Gone Too Far
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been warned they are “playing with fire” after their reported reaction to King Charles’ decision to clarify their status as non-working royals.
The warning came from former Conservative MP and author Louise Bagshawe, previously known as Louise Mensch, after the Sussexes’ office briefed the media that they were “a little surprised” by the King’s letter.
Charles sent the letter to senior government and military officials on Monday, September 7, outlining the couple’s position following their return to Britain in late August.
It reiterated that Harry and Meghan would not use the formal His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness styles and stated that any charitable work carried out by them would be undertaken in a “private capacity.”
Former MP Takes Aim At Sussexes’ Response
The Sussexes’ reaction quickly became part of the story.
Reports claimed Buckingham Palace sent the letter to Harry and Meghan’s office around 72 minutes before it was released publicly, while Harry allegedly had only two minutes to read it because he was in a meeting and could not immediately be reached.
Their team subsequently briefed that the couple had been “a little surprised” not to have been told about the announcement earlier.
Bagshawe strongly objected to that response.
“I think it was another serious error for Meghan to issue an on the record statement that she was ‘surprised’ by the King’s announcement,” she wrote on X.
“She had no right to be notified of it in advance at all. No right to edit it.”
Her criticism went further, suggesting that publicly challenging the Palace over the handling of the announcement could create a much deeper royal dispute.
“He Is King”
Bagshawe argued that Charles would not tolerate what she described as competing communications coming from the Sussexes.
“The King will not tolerate competing press releases for long, it looks like a rival court,” she claimed.
“He is King.”
She then made a much stronger prediction, arguing that if Meghan attempted to defy the King, Charles could potentially remove Harry’s status as a prince.
“If Meghan wishes to disobey him, he can remove Harry’s status as a Prince of the UK with a stroke of the pen, and I believe he would,” she wrote.
“She is playing with fire.”
That final claim is Bagshawe’s own assessment rather than an indication that the King has threatened to remove Harry’s title.
Sussexes Reportedly Want A Different Description
The dispute has also centred on how Harry and Meghan want their status to be described.
Reports have claimed the couple would prefer the term “public figures” rather than “private citizens”, with the argument that this would better reflect their continuing personal connection to the Royal Family despite no longer receiving public funding or carrying out official royal duties.
The Palace letter, however, drew a clear distinction between their personal relationship with the Royal Family and their official status.
That distinction has become increasingly significant since the Sussexes returned to Britain.
A New Life In The Cotswolds
Harry and Meghan are reportedly preparing for an extended stay in the UK after spending around six years living in California.
Their children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, are reportedly enrolled in local schools as the family settles into life in the Cotswolds.
Meghan has also reportedly been seen at the exclusive Soho Farmhouse in Great Tew, a private members’ club in Oxfordshire popular with celebrities.
But while the Sussexes begin building a new chapter in Britain, the Palace has now made its position unmistakable.
Harry and Meghan may have returned to the UK, but according to the King’s latest guidance, their return does not mean a return to royal life.
And with the Sussexes publicly expressing surprise over the Palace announcement, a former MP believes the battle over where they stand could become considerably more serious.