Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly hate being called “working royals”. A friend told The Sunday Times the couple think the phrase is a “lazy” definition of royal duty. Critics fired back within hours, saying the couple do not understand what the title actually means. The row landed in the middle of their return to Britain and a fresh letter from King Charles that formally classed them as private citizens.
What Harry and Meghan Reportedly Said
A friend of the couple spoke to The Sunday Times in an article published on October 18, 2026. The friend said both Harry and Meghan dislike the term “working members of the Royal Family”.
“‘Working members of the Royal Family’ is a really lazy phrase. He hates it, she hates it. They are not ‘working’ for the institution but they are members of the Royal Family and they work.” — A friend of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, via The Sunday Times
The friend added that Meghan “runs a business seven days a week” and that their days are built around family life and their own work. The couple also object to being called “former royals”. The friend called that label “misleading” and said it affects how people see them.
The Actual Meaning of Working Royals
The term has a fixed meaning inside the palace system. BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond and other experts have explained it many times. Working royals are members of the family who carry out official duties for the monarch. They represent the Crown at public events, receive support from the Royal Household, and do not earn private income from the role.
Virginia Blackburn of the Daily Express put the definition in plain terms in her October 21, 2026 column.
“Members of the Royal Family who are working for the public good in their capacity as members of the Royal Family and not seeking to profit from their position.” — Virginia Blackburn, Daily Express
Blackburn called the couple “clueless” about that distinction. Her column argued that Harry and Meghan want the title and the status without the institutional duties that come with it.
Why Critics Say the Couple Missed the Point
The friend’s comments set off a wave of reaction because they treat “working” as a normal job. Royal commentators say the word means something different in the palace. It describes official service for the Crown, not paid employment.
Robert Jobson, a royal author who has covered the family for more than 35 years, told Samaa TV on October 20, 2026 that the couple cannot turn royal status into a commercial brand. He said the late Queen Elizabeth II made the position clear after the couple stepped back in 2020: they remain family members but are not part of the working royal institution.
Piers Morgan posted a direct response on X after royal expert Roya Nikkhah shared the Sunday Times report. Morgan wrote that working royals do “endless duties for the good of their country” and accused the couple of doing “fake royal work to line their own pockets”.
“Working Royals do endless duties for the good of their country. These two grifters are doing fake ‘royal work’ to line their own pockets. It’s shameless, shameful and should be stopped.” — Piers Morgan on X
Graham Smith of the anti-monarchy group Republic replied to Morgan with a different criticism. He said royals themselves do “very little” and that the monarchy costs taxpayers money. The exchange showed the argument splitting in two directions: one side says Harry and Meghan misunderstand the role, the other says the role is not worth defending.
The King’s Letter That Started the Latest Round
King Charles sent a letter to more than 100 senior officials in September 2026, including government departments, lord lieutenants, and military officials. The letter confirmed that Harry and Meghan remain non-working royals. It said they must be treated as “private citizens with commercial and charitable interests”. The letter also reminded officials that their HRH titles remain on ice.
A spokesperson for the Sussexes said at the time they were surprised by the letter. Royal sources told the Daily Mail that the Palace would not get drawn into a war of words. The King has not commented publicly on the Sunday Times report.
The Nottingham Appearance Behind the Quote
The friend’s comments came days after Harry and Meghan made their first joint public appearance since returning to the UK in August 2026. The couple visited Nottingham on October 15, 2026, the same city where they made their first official joint engagement in 2017. Crowds gathered outside the Community Recording Studio to see them.
The visit looked like a royal engagement: walkabouts, handshakes, and press coverage. Palace officials pointed out that it was not done in the name of the Crown. That gap between the look of a royal visit and the lack of official status sits at the centre of the row.
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What the Public Is Arguing About
The Sunday Times report and Blackburn’s column drew thousands of comments across X and Facebook. Supporters of the couple said the term is outdated and that Harry and Meghan do charitable work without public money. Critics said the couple cannot claim the title while signing commercial deals and living in California.
The Mirror reported on October 18, 2026 that the couple’s friend insisted they are “royals who work”. The same report noted that Buckingham Palace said in 2020 the Sussexes “will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family”. That statement has not changed.
For more royal family rows explained without the spin, keep reading VvipTimes.
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