King Charles 'Prepared for War' With Prince Harry and Meghan Markle After U.K. Return — as Palace Moves to 'Nip' Sussexes' Royal Ambitions
King Charles' letter showed he was 'prepared for war' against the Sussexes.
Sept. 11 2026, Published 2:20 p.m. ET
King Charles III showed he is "prepared for war" with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after branding them "private citizens" in a bombshell letter, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Royal insider Rob Shuter claimed palace power players deliberately moved to "nip" things in the bud before Harry, 41, and Markle, 45, could start playing royal again after their return to the U.K.
'The King Finally Got a Backbone' in Letter About Sussexes
King Charles made the rare move of explaining the Sussexes non-working royal status in the U.K.
"What is shocking to them is that the king finally got a backbone and said something. They thought they were going to slip back into Britain and do whatever they want," Shuter claimed during an appearance on Maureen Callahan's The Nerve podcast.
“The royals have a long history of carrying on. Just don’t complain. Carry on. Do your duty," he continued. "And I think Harry and Meghan knew this and were willing to exploit it, and are shocked that, for the first time in a long time, the king finally has a spine. The king finally stood up."
King & Buckingham Palace 'Prepared for War' Against The Sussexes
King Charles issued the warning that the Sussexes do not represent the royal family and are 'private citizens.'
He was referring to Charles’ letter, issued through the Lord Chamberlain, which drew a royal line in the sand by making it crystal clear that the Sussexes are now private citizens and non-working royals who do not represent the Crown.
Shuter noted that it was "a very un-Buckingham Palace thing to do."
"They don't normally behave this way, but what it's saying to me, and what my sources are telling me, is that they're prepared for war."
'The King Issued This Unprecedented Statement'
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were accused by critics of cosplaying working royals.
“They know who these two are. They know that if you give them an inch, they’re going to take a mile,” Shuter explained, claiming palace power players are under no illusions about the Sussexes’ sudden return to Britain.
According to the royal insider, courtiers fear Harry and Markle’s homecoming could be the opening salvo in an attempt to claw their way back into royal life, six years after they left their royal duties with Megxit and moved to California.
"And so before they can cause any shenanigans, before they can get themselves into any trouble, before they can be out there pretending to promote the crown, the king issued this unprecedented statement," Shuter dished.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Fire Back They Are 'Public Figures'
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's team fired back at the letter.
Harry and Meghan’s camp quickly fired back, saying the couple was “surprised not to have been told about this in advance,” after reportedly receiving a copy of the letter just an hour before it was released to the media.
Their rep then appeared to balk at the Palace’s private-citizen label, hissing, "They are public figures. Members of the public know who they are. The idea that they can live a normal, ‘private’ life is sadly not realistic."
