King Charles answers Spencer claim and puts Sussex titles in writing
King Charles III put his answer on paper. Twice.
The first document was a short rebuttal to his former brother-in-law. The second was a formal letter defining what Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can and cannot do with royal titles. The paperwork is the point. It decides who speaks for the Crown.
The row centres on an excerpt from Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Charles, published in the Daily Mail. In it, Charles Spencer, Earl Spencer, claimed the then Prince of Wales told him days after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, during a dispute over funeral arrangements: "Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough." Hello! Magazine
Buckingham Palace replied just over an hour later. It said it "does not comment on books as a matter of principle" but that His Majesty "is mindful that fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory." That was the full response. No further detail was offered.
The second document came from the Lord Chamberlain, the senior official who runs the Royal Household, writing on behalf of the King. The letter confirmed that Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, still cannot use His and Her Royal Highness — HRH, the style used by senior working royals — and remain private citizens.
It also set a boundary around work. Any engagements carried out by the couple will be in a private capacity. They will not represent the Royal Family. Hello! Magazine
That position has history. Queen Elizabeth II ruled that Harry and Meghan could retain Duke and Duchess of Sussex but must give up HRH. At the end of 2022, the King and the Duke of Sussex agreed that Harry's children should use their royal titles of prince and princess. The Royal Family website still lists Harry as the Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel, his peerage titles in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The same account dated 20 September 2026 said the King has stripped Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his titles. No new letters patent, the formal instrument by which a monarch grants a style or title, were published with that account. The Palace has not added further detail.
Reaction has been reported, not confirmed. The BBC reported the Sussexes were "surprised" by the Lord Chamberlain's letter clarifying their status. BBC The Express reported that Harry and Meghan felt vindicated by Earl Spencer's book about Princess Diana. Reuters had described the combination of Diana revelations and Harry's return as a testing week for the King on 17 September 2026. Reuters
What stands out here is the method. A disputed memory was met with a few chosen words. A question of status was met with a letter from the Household.
