Harry's Call With King Charles Turns 'Somewhat Heated' After Palace Letter Shuts Down Working-Royal Status

Prince Harry and King Charles reportedly had a 'somewhat heated' phone call after the Palace reaffirmed that Harry and Meghan Markle remain outside the working royal family.

According to Australia's Woman's Day, the reported exchange came after a period of regular direct contact between father and son following Harry's return to Britain on 26 August.

The magazine reported that Harry and Charles had been speaking weekly, with conversations covering Archie and Lilibet, their schooling and practical arrangements for seeing the children.

A source told Woman's Day that the last call became 'somewhat heated', after which Charles stopped engaging with Harry directly and communication reverted to an adviser until 'cooler heads prevail'.

Neither Buckingham Palace nor Harry's representatives have confirmed the reported call or what was discussed. People independently reported on 9 September that Harry and Charles had spoken by phone during Harry's first week back in Britain, but that report did not describe a later disagreement.

What The Palace Letter Said

The reported call followed a letter issued on 7 September by the Lord Chamberlain, Lord Benyon, at the King's direction.

The Palace said it had received a number of requests for guidance following the Sussexes' return, and the letter was then circulated to government, military and other official bodies, Lord-Lieutenants and the Sussexes' team.

The letter stated there was 'no change' to Harry and Meghan's status as non-working members of the Royal Family.

It said their HRH styles remained 'in abeyance' and would not be used, while their charitable work would be undertaken privately rather than on behalf of the Sovereign. Their position was described as 'akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests'.

The Sussexes' spokesperson said they were 'a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance'. Their team reportedly received the letter at 1.59pm on 7 September and sent questions about 20 minutes later, with the statement released publicly at about 3.06pm; the Palace said the Sussexes had been informed before publication.

The spokesperson's complaint was about the notice given to the Sussexes, rather than the 2020 position itself. The letter reaffirmed the existing arrangement under which Harry and Meghan are no longer working members of the Royal Family.

Contact Had Resumed Before The Letter

Harry and Charles had already met privately at Highgrove on 10 July, when the King saw Meghan, Archie and Lilibet for the first time since 2022.

The first-week phone contact reported by People provided separate confirmation that father and son were speaking after Harry returned to Britain.

The later call described by Woman's Day remains less firmly established.

Neither the Palace nor Harry's representatives has publicly confirmed the account, and no details have emerged about what allegedly made the conversation 'somewhat heated'.

Uganda Pulls Out Of Invictus

The Palace guidance was followed by another development involving Harry's Invictus Games.

Uganda announced on 9 September that it would not participate in the 2027 Games, after joining the Invictus community in July as its 26th nation; Harry appeared alongside Uganda's Defence Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka when the country's participation was announced.

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba said Uganda did not want to be seen as opposing King Charles and would not take part in anything without His Majesty's approval. A source close to Harry subsequently told People that the withdrawal was a 'direct result' of the Palace guidance and said it would affect competitors preparing for the Games.

The Palace has not said that Charles opposed the Invictus Games, while royal sources have stressed the King's support for projects involving wounded service personnel.