Sept. 8, 2026
Harry & Meghan “Surprised” By King Charles’ Public Letter Reminding World… They’re Not Like Us!
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RSS Feed Now that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are back in the UK, King Charles released a formal letter reminding the public that Harry and Meghan are not to be treated like members of the royal family! In his public statement, the King begins by saying “to help avoid doubt or confusion” and goes on to say there is no change to the couples’ status as non-working members of the Royal family and that they should NOT be referenced as “His and Her Royal Highness.” The Sussexes have already reacted through their spokesperson, saying they were surprised by the King’s letter.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Tuesday, September 8th. And just in case it wasn't clear, Harry and Meghan... aren't with us. And with that, welcome to this episode of A.B. and T.J. That was a statement put out by King Charles. We've all been in that position with family or friends. You're out somewhere and they do something a little embarrassing.
00:00:21
Speaker 2: I don't claim them.
00:00:23
Speaker 1: I'm not with them.
00:00:24
Speaker 2: You know what?
00:00:24
Speaker 3: I feel like he could have put, like, if this was a social media statement, we could have just had Kendrick Lamar's, they're not like us.
00:00:31
Speaker 2: They're not like us.
00:00:32
Speaker 1: And they're not.
00:00:33
Speaker 2: And they're not. And, yeah, because they said they weren't like us.
00:00:36
Speaker 1: Look, yo, Prince, I mean, Harry and Meghan, Robes, they are just... They can't.
00:00:41
Speaker 2: They can't get anything right.
00:00:43
Speaker 1: Well, can't get it right, but they can't get a break. It feels like sometimes with some of these headlines, a lot of people hear that and go, give me a freaking break.
00:00:50
Speaker 2: They did this to themselves. Everything they did, they asked for.
00:00:53
Speaker 1: But this is tough. Daddy-O has spoken in a very emphatic way to make clear to everybody. I know they're back in the UK, but the only thing that's changed is their address.
00:01:01
Speaker 2: Do we need a clarification from King Charles?
00:01:03
Speaker 1: I think maybe.
00:01:04
Speaker 2: Okay.
00:01:05
Speaker 3: And I'm just curious what the ripple effects are for that personally to have. put out this statement, this letter, just reminding everybody what they already knew, that nothing had changed, that they still were non-working royals. And oh, by the way, don't say his or her majesty because they don't get to be regarded like that.
00:01:28
Speaker 1: Okay, look. You know, Rose, this story, because it was a surprise. Well, I don't know, a month ago maybe when the news came out that they were going to be moving back to the UK. People went, crazy. This was huge. They've been in Southern California for six years, building their California dreams, right? Wonderful home. She's got shows. She's the new biracial Martha Stewart. Everything is going great for them. Surprised they're going back to the UK. We were trying to figure out, everybody, why? And then we heard about her acting gig. Maybe that's why. Or maybe Harry is reconciling with the family. Rogues, everybody was trying to figure out, but the hope has been reconciliation.
00:02:06
Speaker 3: Absolutely, but I'm laughing at your glass half full synopsis of what has taken place over the last six years because a lot of folks will say it's quite the opposite. that all of her deals that she hoped would bring her a lot of income, including even Prince Harry's decision to write that book, Spare. Of course, all of that netted an initial pretty hefty, large financial gain. But when you've got a, what is it, a 14-bedroom, 20-bathroom Montecito estate and a vacation home in Portugal, you've got big bills to pay. So, yes, a lot of people pointed out that while they got initial lucrative deals, they weren't long-term, they weren't lasting. Right.
00:02:44
Speaker 2: The checks stopped coming in. Netflix said, actually, we're good.
00:02:48
Speaker 1: You think this is a financial move. And so Harry.
00:02:51
Speaker 3: Also felt very disconnected from his life, his family, his culture.
00:02:55
Speaker 2: His kids didn't get to know.
00:02:56
Speaker 3: So he was pacing the halls of their Montecito mansion, feeling very frustrated and alone and isolated.
00:03:04
Speaker 2: So they.
00:03:06
Speaker 3: They actually pulled up the family and dogs and all. I guess they left their chickens back in Montecito. But they are looking for a new start and a fresh start. And so it wasn't that they were just building on all of this wonderful six years of marital and familial bliss. This is them trying to do some repair work to some major damage that they frankly caused.
00:03:33
Speaker 1: And I would like to think that the repair work had to do with the family, that they wanted to repair the royal family.
00:03:40
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:03:40
Speaker 2: I would like to think that too.
00:03:41
Speaker 1: I gave a rosier synopsis of their time.
00:03:44
Speaker 3: I just wanted to, I just wanted to make that clear. Like, I appreciate that because usually, usually I'm the one that's toxically positive.
00:03:52
Speaker 2: But that was, that was fun that we switched roles there for a second.
00:03:57
Speaker 1: I look, you know, I like her show. That's probably why I said, what was the name of it? With Love.
00:04:00
Speaker 3: Megan?
00:04:00
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:04:01
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:04:02
Speaker 2: Two seasons of it. And that's all you're getting.
00:04:03
Speaker 1: I like the show.
00:04:04
Speaker 2: We've seen at least, I think, each episode three times now.
00:04:08
Speaker 1: Because I leave it running in the morning on this TV in here. But then we happened onto Martha Stewart's cooking show the other day and we got, oh, okay.
00:04:16
Speaker 2: You're like, oh, this is how it's done.
00:04:17
Speaker 1: Oh, okay. Martha is just the best, by the way. But anyway, back to Harry and Meghan. So, Robes, with all that, they go back and yes, there is hope. Now, you know, Robes, can you imagine? the number of questions and inquiries, press inquiries, letters that are flying from government officials, from press, everybody asking, what's going to happen? Are they back in? Are they back in the fold? What are we going to do? What does this mean? We haven't gotten a lot of answers from that. And I didn't realize, well, this is the first time we've officially heard the king then put out an official statement regarding Harry and Meghan being back. And yet, to a certain degree, you can understand they need to clear things.
00:04:55
Speaker 3: I i get that and it is a big deal anytime the king buckingham palace they don't release statements just haphazardly all of this is carefully curated and planned and executed and so a lot of thought i'm sure went into if they should release a statement how they should release a statement and then yes what the statement should actually say So we.
00:05:20
Speaker 2: Do have the official letter from King Charles.
00:05:23
Speaker 1: And again, this went to, this wasn't just a letter, and it sounds like Harry and Meghan might have gotten it last, but this went out to all government officials. This went out to police and law enforcement to get everybody an understanding of how to treat these two as they go back into maybe public life to some degree in the UK. And I hope they're going to be doing a lot of press events or charity events. They'll be making appearances. And this makes clear, they are not showing up anywhere on behalf of the royal family.
00:05:55
Speaker 2: All right, here is the official letter.
00:05:58
Speaker 3: Following the decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to relocate to the UK, we have received a number of requests for guidance. To help avoid doubt or confusion, the king has directed that the following information be shared.
00:06:13
Speaker 1: I like that line.
00:06:14
Speaker 2: The king has directed... Well, to avoid.
00:06:15
Speaker 1: Doubt and confusion. That was plain spoken. Okay, let me clear this up. This is as colloquial as you will hear Buckingham Palace speak.
00:06:23
Speaker 3: All right, the letter goes on to say this. It is well known that in January 2020, the Duke and Duchess stepped down from undertaking representative duties on behalf of the Sovereign.
00:06:35
Speaker 1: I like that line, too. Just a reminder, they did this.
00:06:37
Speaker 2: Yes, we didn't push them out. We didn't tell them to leave.
00:06:40
Speaker 1: I love this.
00:06:40
Speaker 2: This was of their doing.
00:06:43
Speaker 3: All right.
00:06:45
Speaker 2: All right.
00:06:46
Speaker 3: They stepped down from undertaking representative duties on behalf of the Sovereign and are no longer... working members of the royal family. This position, distinct from the state and royal duties undertaken by the working royal family, and with the personal latitude it brings the couple in respect of financial independence and protection of their privacy as they would wish, will continue to be fully respected. So look, and I do think that's an important part here. Look, if you look at William and Kate's kids, They are working members in a way of the royal family. Their faces, their images, their likeness, all of that is a part of them showing up, being transparent. This is our family. We are the royal family. Meghan and Harry, we have never seen their kids' faces.
00:07:35
Speaker 2: Never once.
00:07:36
Speaker 3: And that's how they want it. And because they want that level of privacy, they couldn't possibly be a part of the working family because that is a part of it. You don't get to keep your identity hidden. You don't get certain privacy that clearly Meghan and Harry value over privacy. being members of the royal family.
00:07:58
Speaker 1: What's William's son, the oldest one, who's next in line, what's his name?
00:08:00
Speaker 3: George.
00:08:01
Speaker 1: George, right? You can't hide George's face. He's going to eventually be the king of England.
00:08:05
Speaker 3: Yes, and anyone who potentially is in line, you would think that you are a public servant.
00:08:10
Speaker 1: Yeah, man.
00:08:11
Speaker 2: You are a public figure.
00:08:12
Speaker 1: They take it seriously over there. They do. This is service.
00:08:15
Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely.
00:08:16
Speaker 3: So yes, George and Charlotte and Louis, we know and love their faces and they don't get to be private citizens.
00:08:25
Speaker 1: It stings to people to a certain degree. That is as privileged as you can get. Like you have this opportunity and you're rejecting it and throwing it back and also trashing it on the way out.
00:08:37
Speaker 2: And then you want it both ways.
00:08:39
Speaker 3: And then you want the protection and you want the, the taxpayer dollars to protect you that you can't have it both ways.
00:08:46
Speaker 2: That does make a lot of sense.
00:08:48
Speaker 1: And that's why you can understand why people would be turned off by that. And especially the British folks seeing this, babe, they, this is not just some figurehead. This is not just some dismissive thing that just Royals are no big deal. Rose, they, are regarded a certain way there.
00:09:05
Speaker 2: This is Lady Di. This is Princess Di's son, who we watched grow up.
00:09:11
Speaker 1: And now this American woman has come in here and had him turn his back on his family.
00:09:15
Speaker 3: And he's trashed his family publicly for profit. And I think that makes it even worse.
00:09:19
Speaker 1: Making clear, these aren't our impressions, but this is, I guess, the rub. This is what's out there, and this is why. I hope some of these moves that they've made, but I like the line there. They said, yeah, what they wanted, sure thing. We're going to keep respecting it. They're like, yeah, knock yourselves out. That was the next line.
00:09:35
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:09:36
Speaker 1: Knock yourselves out. We'll fully respect that you want your privacy.
00:09:39
Speaker 3: But in exchange for your privacy, it continues. It follows that there is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
00:09:48
Speaker 2: Their styles as his and.
00:09:50
Speaker 3: Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used. The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both.
00:09:59
Speaker 2: And under in their private capacity.
00:10:02
Speaker 3: In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.
00:10:08
Speaker 1: Another good line, but they had to. Their styles as His and Her Royal Highness. Like, we have to remind y'all, don't call them that.
00:10:15
Speaker 3: Do not call them that, because they are not. Any specific questions from official and state organizations about the courtesies, which should be extended to the Duke and Duchess, and particularly where recourse to public funds may be required, should be directed to Buckingham Palace. Any operational security issues should continue to be directed to the relevant police authorities. So basically, we want to say, like, do not extend anything to them that would cost taxpayers any money without first clearing it with us. Gross.
00:10:48
Speaker 1: This is a claim. They, this is very clearly written.
00:10:52
Speaker 3: Yes. Uh, it goes on final, final, uh, sentence, all correspondence and administrative questions relating to the couple should be sent directly to their office, which will continue to operate separately from the Royal household.
00:11:07
Speaker 1: That should be it, right? He made that as clear as he can. Um, Robes, you know they've been getting a lot of questions. Look, I had questions. They're going back. To do what? What do they want to do? I thought that Robes, they were going back because, yes, she has an acting gig. That's huge. He has met with his dad in the past year or so. The grandkids met with granddaddy.
00:11:32
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:11:32
Speaker 1: Not too terribly long ago.
00:11:33
Speaker 2: This summer, yes.
00:11:34
Speaker 1: So all of that made it sound as if reconciliation was going to be possible. Not just possible, but even a priority of them moving back. this seems official. This doesn't seem like a dad. This seems like the king of England needed to do what he needed to do.
00:11:48
Speaker 3: Yes, and look, it'll be interesting to see if they're able to move the needle at all in terms of public opinion or if they even care to.
00:11:58
Speaker 2: I would think Prince Harry would.
00:12:00
Speaker 3: That would be a part of this, but maybe they're over it. But the fact that they've moved back As private citizens, there are still going to be a lot of questions.
00:12:11
Speaker 2: How are they treated? How are they regarded? All of the above.
00:12:15
Speaker 1: And I'm, like I said, worried about her. I'm worried about her health. I'm worried about her mental health. I'm worried about... That's just... That onslaught that we have... We got about 1% of what she gets. So little. And it's ongoing.
00:12:30
Speaker 2: It's unbearable. The 1% was unbearable. Can't imagine... another 99% coming your way.
00:12:35
Speaker 1: And you know, I was happy she'd get in the acting gig. I was hoping that was going to be the case. What was the latest on that? That it had been pulled and nothing is official.
00:12:44
Speaker 3: The latest is that it's still on the table. The latest is that she still may end up being in season three. They are, they just got greenlit. So the production is just beginning in terms of.
00:12:56
Speaker 1: Getting all of that together.
00:12:57
Speaker 2: The gentleman, yes.
00:12:59
Speaker 3: And Guy Ritchie is known for kind of liking this type of attention. So he might really lean into it. It makes a lot of sense because if they're talking about you, they're talking about you.
00:13:09
Speaker 2: They notice you. They'll check it out. That all probably is good for ratings.
00:13:14
Speaker 1: I had no idea about this show.
00:13:16
Speaker 2: Neither did I.
00:13:16
Speaker 1: But it's the sexy kind of thing that I would absolutely like. Some spy stuff and some clandestine stuff. And love Theo James. He had the hilarious response. They're getting asked about it constantly. You know they're annoyed. They had to do a whole podcast Press junkie. They had to do a whole publicity tour for this show that just came out, what, September 3rd or something?
00:13:34
Speaker 2: Yeah, it just came out this past week for season two.
00:13:37
Speaker 1: They've been asked nonstop about it, but he was asked about it. This was the funny response. Actually, it's Sarah Ferguson. That's funny. And move on. Thank you, Theo, for that. But we have, just this morning, we got this letter from the king. It was put out yesterday on Monday, but we are hearing now reports from the BBC of a reaction by Prince Harry to finding out about this letter. We will explain that. Also, we'll also remind you about Queen Elizabeth and what she said about them wanting to be.
00:14:24
Speaker 2: Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ.
00:14:27
Speaker 3: Yes, we might have been a little taken aback by King Charles' public letter to the government, to, frankly, everyone, reminding folks that Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan were Are not working members of the royal family. Therefore, they should not be called his or her royal highness.
00:14:50
Speaker 1: Help me again, baby. She still can be called princess.
00:14:52
Speaker 2: Princess and duchess. Absolutely.
00:14:54
Speaker 1: But princess Meghan. We call her princess Meghan.
00:14:57
Speaker 3: Yes. She earned it through marriage. And obviously he earned it through birthright. And then their children are all prince. It's a prince Archie and princess Lilibet.
00:15:07
Speaker 1: Seven and five or five and three?
00:15:08
Speaker 3: Seven and five, I believe. And look, we just are getting word. NBC and BBC both have this, and they say that a spokesperson for the couple told them that they were, quote, surprised by the letter sent on behalf of King Charles.
00:15:25
Speaker 2: Oh, boy.
00:15:26
Speaker 3: That is not good if they have actually agreed... to allow their spokesperson to give their reaction to King Charles' letter. I mean, that's surprising to me. Just say nothing. Why do you need to put out there that you're surprised, meaning you're offended? I mean, isn't that what those two things both mean?
00:15:49
Speaker 1: Why do you allow, like, oh, these are such high stakes, I guess, but there's so much emotion, so much, how many hurt feelings in this? It's just, in that moment, right, you put out a statement saying, We understand why.
00:16:03
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:16:03
Speaker 1: We continue to appreciate the support.
00:16:05
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:16:06
Speaker 1: We look glad that the kids are here. There was an opportunity.
00:16:10
Speaker 2: Instead, this is what we have.
00:16:11
Speaker 3: A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan told NBC News they were surprised by the letter and were not given an opportunity to contribute to its contents.
00:16:20
Speaker 1: Because he's a king. He doesn't need to consult.
00:16:22
Speaker 3: That also makes them sound arrogant and entitled, which is exactly their problem with the public.
00:16:27
Speaker 1: Okay, I didn't see the rest of that. I just saw the surprise.
00:16:29
Speaker 3: Yes, the contents of the letter were shared with the couple's staff a few hours before it was released, according to a spokesperson for the Sussexes. A Buckingham Palace source also confirmed that the letter had been shared with Harry's team on Monday before it was released.
00:16:44
Speaker 2: But you're right.
00:16:45
Speaker 3: There was such an opportunity for them to say we respect, we appreciate the clarification. It's important for government officials and folks to understand how to regard us. And we always appreciate just being, we were given advance notice of this and we appreciate the contents. Clarification is always good. Like they could just have been, yes, appreciative, grateful.
00:17:10
Speaker 2: And not reactive. And now they're stirring the pot.
00:17:14
Speaker 1: And don't Harry and Meghan need more PR help Yes. You're the king. I'm saying you're not going to win a public spat with the king. I say everybody hates you, and that's not literal, but it's close. We've talked about this plenty of times. She is only ranked above Andrew.
00:17:34
Speaker 2: The man formerly known as Prince Andrew.
00:17:36
Speaker 1: In popularity. Only above him. Of all the working world, that's 10, 15, whatever they are, even the The girl, Andrew's daughters.
00:17:44
Speaker 2: Yeah, Eugenie and Beatrice.
00:17:47
Speaker 1: Ranked higher than Meghan. Everybody. Robes, the list of popularity in royals in the polling. William, Kate, Meghan, Andrew at the bottom. That's who she's at the bottom with. You put out a better statement. What can she do, babe, to make people like her?
00:18:07
Speaker 3: They need better people around them. Well, they need better people around them, and they need to be grateful, and they need to understand that there is a different perspective than the one that they currently carry.
00:18:17
Speaker 2: And I know that's a really hard thing to do.
00:18:19
Speaker 1: Whoa, Rose, you need to be in the room. That statement lands it. There is a different perspective you should consider than the ones you all have about what's happening in your world. Rose? I just, what can't you, because I'd like these two people. And I want them to be okay. I want the whole family to be together again. And I'm from Arkansas, and I care about this family.
00:18:39
Speaker 2: It's funny.
00:18:39
Speaker 3: We had a conversation about this on YouTube, and people had commented, how could you possibly be rooting for this couple? And I actuallyâ there are a lot of reasons why we root for people because I do believe that people can evolve. They canâ suddenly find self-awareness. And there can be a learning curve that we should all extend to other people as well as to ourselves. We can do better. We can change.
00:19:04
Speaker 2: We can grow.
00:19:05
Speaker 3: And oftentimes it's through those painful experiences. And yes, sometimes even public shaming where you can evolve and emerge a better, more well-rounded, open-minded, open-hearted person. And yes, I root for that. And I root for them.
00:19:18
Speaker 1: I just don't think any of these people are bad people or evil people. I don't either. I just don't know what she could possibly, I keep saying her, what can they possibly do? Everything feels like a big attempt to do something versus just live your life.
00:19:31
Speaker 2: Stop living like a victim, I guess, would be the best way.
00:19:34
Speaker 1: Is that what they say she's doing? We got to watch that documentary.
00:19:37
Speaker 2: They got to let it go.
00:19:37
Speaker 3: I mean, I know that's easy to say and hard to do, but they have to move on from victim status.
00:19:43
Speaker 2: That is the only way.
00:19:45
Speaker 3: And what happened to them may have all happened to them exactly as they said it.
00:19:49
Speaker 2: And I understand.
00:19:50
Speaker 3: Feeling angry and feeling like you've been attacked unfairly and you've been accused of things that you didn't do. All of that can really build up this feeling of victimhood. But that only hurts you. And you're holding on to that because it's made you feel safe.
00:20:07
Speaker 2: That's your identity. They got to figure out a way to let it go.
00:20:10
Speaker 1: You just said something, Robeson. Yeah, you're very good at this. It takes a little while, but you eventually get me around to where I need to be. Just like you gave the good PR line. I was like, oh yeah, that's what they need to hear. You just brought me around I don't know if this can ever be fixed. Because you know what you said, baby? You said they feel like they were really wronged and they might feel like they are victims and everything might have happened just like that. Robes, I will never, ever be okay with the people who lied to a tabloid to take us down. There is no way I will ever be okay with those individuals in a room, in a conversation, and certainly to make up publicly So if they feel any kind of way that I feel about the individuals that did this for us, there's a whole, I have a different perspective now.
00:21:11
Speaker 2: Yeah, and they wrote a book about it.
00:21:13
Speaker 1: This might not ever come back. When you put it in those terms, if you see it like that, if they feel about that family the way I feel and know about the folks that did what they did to us intentionally.
00:21:27
Speaker 3: And by the way, what you just described is exactly how King Charles, William, and Kate may feel about Harry and Meghan because they put it in print.
00:21:36
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm going to hop on Calshi now and change my bet for reconciliation. Nope, ain't happening. You just hit me with that. Nope, I can see this never happening.
00:21:47
Speaker 2: I know. It's so personal.
00:21:51
Speaker 3: Mm-hmm. And words cannot be unsaid. And printed words cannot be erased.
00:21:57
Speaker 1: But sometimes harm can't be undone, baby. There was irreparable harm. Possibly they think was done to the royal family. Possibly to Meghan and Harry.
00:22:08
Speaker 2: Everybody's hurt.
00:22:08
Speaker 1: To Amy and TJ.
00:22:09
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:22:12
Speaker 1: Exactly.
00:22:13
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:22:13
Speaker 3: When you put it through that personal lens, it all makes so much sense. It's so easy to judge or to have an opinion when you haven't been through something. But if you've even been through a kind of, sort of similar, and a lot of people have.
00:22:26
Speaker 2: In families, you understand why this cuts so deep.
00:22:31
Speaker 3: Shocked.
00:22:33
Speaker 1: We're going to see Harry and Meghan just dropping the kids off at the front of Buckingham, but they ain't going in. Spend time with granddaddy. We're not allowed in. No, I can see this never happening.
00:22:43
Speaker 2: I still have hope. I still have hope.
00:22:45
Speaker 1: All right.
00:22:45
Speaker 3: With that, everyone, we always appreciate you listening to us. I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes.
00:22:51
Speaker 2: We'll talk soon.
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Tuesday, September 8th. And just in case it wasn't clear, Harry and Meghan... aren't with us. And with that, welcome to this episode of A.B. and T.J. That was a statement put out by King Charles. We've all been in that position with family or friends. You're out somewhere and they do something a little embarrassing.
00:00:21
Speaker 2: I don't claim them.
00:00:23
Speaker 1: I'm not with them.
00:00:24
Speaker 2: You know what?
00:00:24
Speaker 3: I feel like he could have put, like, if this was a social media statement, we could have just had Kendrick Lamar's, they're not like us.
00:00:31
Speaker 2: They're not like us.
00:00:32
Speaker 1: And they're not.
00:00:33
Speaker 2: And they're not. And, yeah, because they said they weren't like us.
00:00:36
Speaker 1: Look, yo, Prince, I mean, Harry and Meghan, Robes, they are just... They can't.
00:00:41
Speaker 2: They can't get anything right.
00:00:43
Speaker 1: Well, can't get it right, but they can't get a break. It feels like sometimes with some of these headlines, a lot of people hear that and go, give me a freaking break.
00:00:50
Speaker 2: They did this to themselves. Everything they did, they asked for.
00:00:53
Speaker 1: But this is tough. Daddy-O has spoken in a very emphatic way to make clear to everybody. I know they're back in the UK, but the only thing that's changed is their address.
00:01:01
Speaker 2: Do we need a clarification from King Charles?
00:01:03
Speaker 1: I think maybe.
00:01:04
Speaker 2: Okay.
00:01:05
Speaker 3: And I'm just curious what the ripple effects are for that personally to have. put out this statement, this letter, just reminding everybody what they already knew, that nothing had changed, that they still were non-working royals. And oh, by the way, don't say his or her majesty because they don't get to be regarded like that.
00:01:28
Speaker 1: Okay, look. You know, Rose, this story, because it was a surprise. Well, I don't know, a month ago maybe when the news came out that they were going to be moving back to the UK. People went, crazy. This was huge. They've been in Southern California for six years, building their California dreams, right? Wonderful home. She's got shows. She's the new biracial Martha Stewart. Everything is going great for them. Surprised they're going back to the UK. We were trying to figure out, everybody, why? And then we heard about her acting gig. Maybe that's why. Or maybe Harry is reconciling with the family. Rogues, everybody was trying to figure out, but the hope has been reconciliation.
00:02:06
Speaker 3: Absolutely, but I'm laughing at your glass half full synopsis of what has taken place over the last six years because a lot of folks will say it's quite the opposite. that all of her deals that she hoped would bring her a lot of income, including even Prince Harry's decision to write that book, Spare. Of course, all of that netted an initial pretty hefty, large financial gain. But when you've got a, what is it, a 14-bedroom, 20-bathroom Montecito estate and a vacation home in Portugal, you've got big bills to pay. So, yes, a lot of people pointed out that while they got initial lucrative deals, they weren't long-term, they weren't lasting. Right.
00:02:44
Speaker 2: The checks stopped coming in. Netflix said, actually, we're good.
00:02:48
Speaker 1: You think this is a financial move. And so Harry.
00:02:51
Speaker 3: Also felt very disconnected from his life, his family, his culture.
00:02:55
Speaker 2: His kids didn't get to know.
00:02:56
Speaker 3: So he was pacing the halls of their Montecito mansion, feeling very frustrated and alone and isolated.
00:03:04
Speaker 2: So they.
00:03:06
Speaker 3: They actually pulled up the family and dogs and all. I guess they left their chickens back in Montecito. But they are looking for a new start and a fresh start. And so it wasn't that they were just building on all of this wonderful six years of marital and familial bliss. This is them trying to do some repair work to some major damage that they frankly caused.
00:03:33
Speaker 1: And I would like to think that the repair work had to do with the family, that they wanted to repair the royal family.
00:03:40
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:03:40
Speaker 2: I would like to think that too.
00:03:41
Speaker 1: I gave a rosier synopsis of their time.
00:03:44
Speaker 3: I just wanted to, I just wanted to make that clear. Like, I appreciate that because usually, usually I'm the one that's toxically positive.
00:03:52
Speaker 2: But that was, that was fun that we switched roles there for a second.
00:03:57
Speaker 1: I look, you know, I like her show. That's probably why I said, what was the name of it? With Love.
00:04:00
Speaker 3: Megan?
00:04:00
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:04:01
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:04:02
Speaker 2: Two seasons of it. And that's all you're getting.
00:04:03
Speaker 1: I like the show.
00:04:04
Speaker 2: We've seen at least, I think, each episode three times now.
00:04:08
Speaker 1: Because I leave it running in the morning on this TV in here. But then we happened onto Martha Stewart's cooking show the other day and we got, oh, okay.
00:04:16
Speaker 2: You're like, oh, this is how it's done.
00:04:17
Speaker 1: Oh, okay. Martha is just the best, by the way. But anyway, back to Harry and Meghan. So, Robes, with all that, they go back and yes, there is hope. Now, you know, Robes, can you imagine? the number of questions and inquiries, press inquiries, letters that are flying from government officials, from press, everybody asking, what's going to happen? Are they back in? Are they back in the fold? What are we going to do? What does this mean? We haven't gotten a lot of answers from that. And I didn't realize, well, this is the first time we've officially heard the king then put out an official statement regarding Harry and Meghan being back. And yet, to a certain degree, you can understand they need to clear things.
00:04:55
Speaker 3: I i get that and it is a big deal anytime the king buckingham palace they don't release statements just haphazardly all of this is carefully curated and planned and executed and so a lot of thought i'm sure went into if they should release a statement how they should release a statement and then yes what the statement should actually say So we.
00:05:20
Speaker 2: Do have the official letter from King Charles.
00:05:23
Speaker 1: And again, this went to, this wasn't just a letter, and it sounds like Harry and Meghan might have gotten it last, but this went out to all government officials. This went out to police and law enforcement to get everybody an understanding of how to treat these two as they go back into maybe public life to some degree in the UK. And I hope they're going to be doing a lot of press events or charity events. They'll be making appearances. And this makes clear, they are not showing up anywhere on behalf of the royal family.
00:05:55
Speaker 2: All right, here is the official letter.
00:05:58
Speaker 3: Following the decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to relocate to the UK, we have received a number of requests for guidance. To help avoid doubt or confusion, the king has directed that the following information be shared.
00:06:13
Speaker 1: I like that line.
00:06:14
Speaker 2: The king has directed... Well, to avoid.
00:06:15
Speaker 1: Doubt and confusion. That was plain spoken. Okay, let me clear this up. This is as colloquial as you will hear Buckingham Palace speak.
00:06:23
Speaker 3: All right, the letter goes on to say this. It is well known that in January 2020, the Duke and Duchess stepped down from undertaking representative duties on behalf of the Sovereign.
00:06:35
Speaker 1: I like that line, too. Just a reminder, they did this.
00:06:37
Speaker 2: Yes, we didn't push them out. We didn't tell them to leave.
00:06:40
Speaker 1: I love this.
00:06:40
Speaker 2: This was of their doing.
00:06:43
Speaker 3: All right.
00:06:45
Speaker 2: All right.
00:06:46
Speaker 3: They stepped down from undertaking representative duties on behalf of the Sovereign and are no longer... working members of the royal family. This position, distinct from the state and royal duties undertaken by the working royal family, and with the personal latitude it brings the couple in respect of financial independence and protection of their privacy as they would wish, will continue to be fully respected. So look, and I do think that's an important part here. Look, if you look at William and Kate's kids, They are working members in a way of the royal family. Their faces, their images, their likeness, all of that is a part of them showing up, being transparent. This is our family. We are the royal family. Meghan and Harry, we have never seen their kids' faces.
00:07:35
Speaker 2: Never once.
00:07:36
Speaker 3: And that's how they want it. And because they want that level of privacy, they couldn't possibly be a part of the working family because that is a part of it. You don't get to keep your identity hidden. You don't get certain privacy that clearly Meghan and Harry value over privacy. being members of the royal family.
00:07:58
Speaker 1: What's William's son, the oldest one, who's next in line, what's his name?
00:08:00
Speaker 3: George.
00:08:01
Speaker 1: George, right? You can't hide George's face. He's going to eventually be the king of England.
00:08:05
Speaker 3: Yes, and anyone who potentially is in line, you would think that you are a public servant.
00:08:10
Speaker 1: Yeah, man.
00:08:11
Speaker 2: You are a public figure.
00:08:12
Speaker 1: They take it seriously over there. They do. This is service.
00:08:15
Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely.
00:08:16
Speaker 3: So yes, George and Charlotte and Louis, we know and love their faces and they don't get to be private citizens.
00:08:25
Speaker 1: It stings to people to a certain degree. That is as privileged as you can get. Like you have this opportunity and you're rejecting it and throwing it back and also trashing it on the way out.
00:08:37
Speaker 2: And then you want it both ways.
00:08:39
Speaker 3: And then you want the protection and you want the, the taxpayer dollars to protect you that you can't have it both ways.
00:08:46
Speaker 2: That does make a lot of sense.
00:08:48
Speaker 1: And that's why you can understand why people would be turned off by that. And especially the British folks seeing this, babe, they, this is not just some figurehead. This is not just some dismissive thing that just Royals are no big deal. Rose, they, are regarded a certain way there.
00:09:05
Speaker 2: This is Lady Di. This is Princess Di's son, who we watched grow up.
00:09:11
Speaker 1: And now this American woman has come in here and had him turn his back on his family.
00:09:15
Speaker 3: And he's trashed his family publicly for profit. And I think that makes it even worse.
00:09:19
Speaker 1: Making clear, these aren't our impressions, but this is, I guess, the rub. This is what's out there, and this is why. I hope some of these moves that they've made, but I like the line there. They said, yeah, what they wanted, sure thing. We're going to keep respecting it. They're like, yeah, knock yourselves out. That was the next line.
00:09:35
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:09:36
Speaker 1: Knock yourselves out. We'll fully respect that you want your privacy.
00:09:39
Speaker 3: But in exchange for your privacy, it continues. It follows that there is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
00:09:48
Speaker 2: Their styles as his and.
00:09:50
Speaker 3: Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used. The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both.
00:09:59
Speaker 2: And under in their private capacity.
00:10:02
Speaker 3: In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.
00:10:08
Speaker 1: Another good line, but they had to. Their styles as His and Her Royal Highness. Like, we have to remind y'all, don't call them that.
00:10:15
Speaker 3: Do not call them that, because they are not. Any specific questions from official and state organizations about the courtesies, which should be extended to the Duke and Duchess, and particularly where recourse to public funds may be required, should be directed to Buckingham Palace. Any operational security issues should continue to be directed to the relevant police authorities. So basically, we want to say, like, do not extend anything to them that would cost taxpayers any money without first clearing it with us. Gross.
00:10:48
Speaker 1: This is a claim. They, this is very clearly written.
00:10:52
Speaker 3: Yes. Uh, it goes on final, final, uh, sentence, all correspondence and administrative questions relating to the couple should be sent directly to their office, which will continue to operate separately from the Royal household.
00:11:07
Speaker 1: That should be it, right? He made that as clear as he can. Um, Robes, you know they've been getting a lot of questions. Look, I had questions. They're going back. To do what? What do they want to do? I thought that Robes, they were going back because, yes, she has an acting gig. That's huge. He has met with his dad in the past year or so. The grandkids met with granddaddy.
00:11:32
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:11:32
Speaker 1: Not too terribly long ago.
00:11:33
Speaker 2: This summer, yes.
00:11:34
Speaker 1: So all of that made it sound as if reconciliation was going to be possible. Not just possible, but even a priority of them moving back. this seems official. This doesn't seem like a dad. This seems like the king of England needed to do what he needed to do.
00:11:48
Speaker 3: Yes, and look, it'll be interesting to see if they're able to move the needle at all in terms of public opinion or if they even care to.
00:11:58
Speaker 2: I would think Prince Harry would.
00:12:00
Speaker 3: That would be a part of this, but maybe they're over it. But the fact that they've moved back As private citizens, there are still going to be a lot of questions.
00:12:11
Speaker 2: How are they treated? How are they regarded? All of the above.
00:12:15
Speaker 1: And I'm, like I said, worried about her. I'm worried about her health. I'm worried about her mental health. I'm worried about... That's just... That onslaught that we have... We got about 1% of what she gets. So little. And it's ongoing.
00:12:30
Speaker 2: It's unbearable. The 1% was unbearable. Can't imagine... another 99% coming your way.
00:12:35
Speaker 1: And you know, I was happy she'd get in the acting gig. I was hoping that was going to be the case. What was the latest on that? That it had been pulled and nothing is official.
00:12:44
Speaker 3: The latest is that it's still on the table. The latest is that she still may end up being in season three. They are, they just got greenlit. So the production is just beginning in terms of.
00:12:56
Speaker 1: Getting all of that together.
00:12:57
Speaker 2: The gentleman, yes.
00:12:59
Speaker 3: And Guy Ritchie is known for kind of liking this type of attention. So he might really lean into it. It makes a lot of sense because if they're talking about you, they're talking about you.
00:13:09
Speaker 2: They notice you. They'll check it out. That all probably is good for ratings.
00:13:14
Speaker 1: I had no idea about this show.
00:13:16
Speaker 2: Neither did I.
00:13:16
Speaker 1: But it's the sexy kind of thing that I would absolutely like. Some spy stuff and some clandestine stuff. And love Theo James. He had the hilarious response. They're getting asked about it constantly. You know they're annoyed. They had to do a whole podcast Press junkie. They had to do a whole publicity tour for this show that just came out, what, September 3rd or something?
00:13:34
Speaker 2: Yeah, it just came out this past week for season two.
00:13:37
Speaker 1: They've been asked nonstop about it, but he was asked about it. This was the funny response. Actually, it's Sarah Ferguson. That's funny. And move on. Thank you, Theo, for that. But we have, just this morning, we got this letter from the king. It was put out yesterday on Monday, but we are hearing now reports from the BBC of a reaction by Prince Harry to finding out about this letter. We will explain that. Also, we'll also remind you about Queen Elizabeth and what she said about them wanting to be.
00:14:24
Speaker 2: Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ.
00:14:27
Speaker 3: Yes, we might have been a little taken aback by King Charles' public letter to the government, to, frankly, everyone, reminding folks that Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan were Are not working members of the royal family. Therefore, they should not be called his or her royal highness.
00:14:50
Speaker 1: Help me again, baby. She still can be called princess.
00:14:52
Speaker 2: Princess and duchess. Absolutely.
00:14:54
Speaker 1: But princess Meghan. We call her princess Meghan.
00:14:57
Speaker 3: Yes. She earned it through marriage. And obviously he earned it through birthright. And then their children are all prince. It's a prince Archie and princess Lilibet.
00:15:07
Speaker 1: Seven and five or five and three?
00:15:08
Speaker 3: Seven and five, I believe. And look, we just are getting word. NBC and BBC both have this, and they say that a spokesperson for the couple told them that they were, quote, surprised by the letter sent on behalf of King Charles.
00:15:25
Speaker 2: Oh, boy.
00:15:26
Speaker 3: That is not good if they have actually agreed... to allow their spokesperson to give their reaction to King Charles' letter. I mean, that's surprising to me. Just say nothing. Why do you need to put out there that you're surprised, meaning you're offended? I mean, isn't that what those two things both mean?
00:15:49
Speaker 1: Why do you allow, like, oh, these are such high stakes, I guess, but there's so much emotion, so much, how many hurt feelings in this? It's just, in that moment, right, you put out a statement saying, We understand why.
00:16:03
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:16:03
Speaker 1: We continue to appreciate the support.
00:16:05
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:16:06
Speaker 1: We look glad that the kids are here. There was an opportunity.
00:16:10
Speaker 2: Instead, this is what we have.
00:16:11
Speaker 3: A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan told NBC News they were surprised by the letter and were not given an opportunity to contribute to its contents.
00:16:20
Speaker 1: Because he's a king. He doesn't need to consult.
00:16:22
Speaker 3: That also makes them sound arrogant and entitled, which is exactly their problem with the public.
00:16:27
Speaker 1: Okay, I didn't see the rest of that. I just saw the surprise.
00:16:29
Speaker 3: Yes, the contents of the letter were shared with the couple's staff a few hours before it was released, according to a spokesperson for the Sussexes. A Buckingham Palace source also confirmed that the letter had been shared with Harry's team on Monday before it was released.
00:16:44
Speaker 2: But you're right.
00:16:45
Speaker 3: There was such an opportunity for them to say we respect, we appreciate the clarification. It's important for government officials and folks to understand how to regard us. And we always appreciate just being, we were given advance notice of this and we appreciate the contents. Clarification is always good. Like they could just have been, yes, appreciative, grateful.
00:17:10
Speaker 2: And not reactive. And now they're stirring the pot.
00:17:14
Speaker 1: And don't Harry and Meghan need more PR help Yes. You're the king. I'm saying you're not going to win a public spat with the king. I say everybody hates you, and that's not literal, but it's close. We've talked about this plenty of times. She is only ranked above Andrew.
00:17:34
Speaker 2: The man formerly known as Prince Andrew.
00:17:36
Speaker 1: In popularity. Only above him. Of all the working world, that's 10, 15, whatever they are, even the The girl, Andrew's daughters.
00:17:44
Speaker 2: Yeah, Eugenie and Beatrice.
00:17:47
Speaker 1: Ranked higher than Meghan. Everybody. Robes, the list of popularity in royals in the polling. William, Kate, Meghan, Andrew at the bottom. That's who she's at the bottom with. You put out a better statement. What can she do, babe, to make people like her?
00:18:07
Speaker 3: They need better people around them. Well, they need better people around them, and they need to be grateful, and they need to understand that there is a different perspective than the one that they currently carry.
00:18:17
Speaker 2: And I know that's a really hard thing to do.
00:18:19
Speaker 1: Whoa, Rose, you need to be in the room. That statement lands it. There is a different perspective you should consider than the ones you all have about what's happening in your world. Rose? I just, what can't you, because I'd like these two people. And I want them to be okay. I want the whole family to be together again. And I'm from Arkansas, and I care about this family.
00:18:39
Speaker 2: It's funny.
00:18:39
Speaker 3: We had a conversation about this on YouTube, and people had commented, how could you possibly be rooting for this couple? And I actuallyâ there are a lot of reasons why we root for people because I do believe that people can evolve. They canâ suddenly find self-awareness. And there can be a learning curve that we should all extend to other people as well as to ourselves. We can do better. We can change.
00:19:04
Speaker 2: We can grow.
00:19:05
Speaker 3: And oftentimes it's through those painful experiences. And yes, sometimes even public shaming where you can evolve and emerge a better, more well-rounded, open-minded, open-hearted person. And yes, I root for that. And I root for them.
00:19:18
Speaker 1: I just don't think any of these people are bad people or evil people. I don't either. I just don't know what she could possibly, I keep saying her, what can they possibly do? Everything feels like a big attempt to do something versus just live your life.
00:19:31
Speaker 2: Stop living like a victim, I guess, would be the best way.
00:19:34
Speaker 1: Is that what they say she's doing? We got to watch that documentary.
00:19:37
Speaker 2: They got to let it go.
00:19:37
Speaker 3: I mean, I know that's easy to say and hard to do, but they have to move on from victim status.
00:19:43
Speaker 2: That is the only way.
00:19:45
Speaker 3: And what happened to them may have all happened to them exactly as they said it.
00:19:49
Speaker 2: And I understand.
00:19:50
Speaker 3: Feeling angry and feeling like you've been attacked unfairly and you've been accused of things that you didn't do. All of that can really build up this feeling of victimhood. But that only hurts you. And you're holding on to that because it's made you feel safe.
00:20:07
Speaker 2: That's your identity. They got to figure out a way to let it go.
00:20:10
Speaker 1: You just said something, Robeson. Yeah, you're very good at this. It takes a little while, but you eventually get me around to where I need to be. Just like you gave the good PR line. I was like, oh yeah, that's what they need to hear. You just brought me around I don't know if this can ever be fixed. Because you know what you said, baby? You said they feel like they were really wronged and they might feel like they are victims and everything might have happened just like that. Robes, I will never, ever be okay with the people who lied to a tabloid to take us down. There is no way I will ever be okay with those individuals in a room, in a conversation, and certainly to make up publicly So if they feel any kind of way that I feel about the individuals that did this for us, there's a whole, I have a different perspective now.
00:21:11
Speaker 2: Yeah, and they wrote a book about it.
00:21:13
Speaker 1: This might not ever come back. When you put it in those terms, if you see it like that, if they feel about that family the way I feel and know about the folks that did what they did to us intentionally.
00:21:27
Speaker 3: And by the way, what you just described is exactly how King Charles, William, and Kate may feel about Harry and Meghan because they put it in print.
00:21:36
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm going to hop on Calshi now and change my bet for reconciliation. Nope, ain't happening. You just hit me with that. Nope, I can see this never happening.
00:21:47
Speaker 2: I know. It's so personal.
00:21:51
Speaker 3: Mm-hmm. And words cannot be unsaid. And printed words cannot be erased.
00:21:57
Speaker 1: But sometimes harm can't be undone, baby. There was irreparable harm. Possibly they think was done to the royal family. Possibly to Meghan and Harry.
00:22:08
Speaker 2: Everybody's hurt.
00:22:08
Speaker 1: To Amy and TJ.
00:22:09
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:22:12
Speaker 1: Exactly.
00:22:13
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:22:13
Speaker 3: When you put it through that personal lens, it all makes so much sense. It's so easy to judge or to have an opinion when you haven't been through something. But if you've even been through a kind of, sort of similar, and a lot of people have.
00:22:26
Speaker 2: In families, you understand why this cuts so deep.
00:22:31
Speaker 3: Shocked.
00:22:33
Speaker 1: We're going to see Harry and Meghan just dropping the kids off at the front of Buckingham, but they ain't going in. Spend time with granddaddy. We're not allowed in. No, I can see this never happening.
00:22:43
Speaker 2: I still have hope. I still have hope.
00:22:45
Speaker 1: All right.
00:22:45
Speaker 3: With that, everyone, we always appreciate you listening to us. I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes.
00:22:51
Speaker 2: We'll talk soon.