4 Problems That Came Along With Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s U.K. Return
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to Britain has been marked by several challenges. First, King Charles released a letter confirming their status. Then, Markle’s phone number was reportedly leaked.
But these are just two cases. Here’s what went wrong after the Sussexes returned to the U.K. On September 7, King Charles signed off on a letter sent to senior British government and military officials. The letter said that Harry and Markle “are no longer working Members of the Royal Family.”
It also made clear that their charity work is done in a private capacity. Their position is also “akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.” Harry and Markle’s spokesperson said the couple was “a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance.”
Reportedly, they only found out about the letter shortly before it was sent. Then, the school switch happened just two days after Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet started. Security concerns over their daily journey pushed Harry and Markle to change plans.
Their small private security team also struggled to keep the family cars together. One reported incident made maintaining the convoy even harder. According to the BBC, the spokesperson for the couple said the school itself wasn’t the issue.
“The decision for the children to move school was taken following a discussion with the family’s security team about the practicalities of their current arrangements,” the rep said. They added, “This decision should in no way be interpreted as a reflection on the school or the exceptional care the children have received there.”
The school’s name and exact location remain private. But then Markle faced another privacy headache. Her phone number was reportedly exposed after a screenshot from a parents’ WhatsApp group went viral.
According to The Sun, Markle was added to the Year 3 parents’ group the night before Archie was due to start. One mother reportedly welcomed her with, “Welcome to Meghan who has Archie joining tomo.” Another parent simply replied, “Welcome!!”
Markle reportedly wrote, “Hi moms! Thanks for the warm welcome [heart emoji] So happy to be a part of this community xx.” The screenshot of the conversation was reportedly shared outside the group several times. Markle’s mobile number was visible in it.
A source close to the Sussexes later told the Daily Mail that “it was disappointing that fellow parents would seek to share such information.”Separately, Harry and Markle’s return to Britain had put their security back into the focus. According to ITV, RAVEC is now taking another look at Harry’s security.
The committee discussed his situation and decided on a fresh Risk Management Board review. Markle is getting a review too. The outlet reported that it will be her first official security review since 2020. That’s when the couple stepped down as working royals.
Harry’s case is a little different. He already had a security review in July. Officials reportedly didn’t know then that he was planning to bring his family back to Britain. The new review does not mean they will automatically get police protection.
It simply means their current situation is being looked at again. Harry has been fighting over his U.K. security for years. He lost his automatic police protection after stepping down from royal duties. He challenged that decision in court. But he lost the case in 2025.
