Prince Harry’s claim about the Royal Family raises big questions but Buckingham Palace remains silent

Prince Harry has said he will always be a member of the Royal Family in an interview that has raised big questions.

During a surprise two day visit to Ukraine, the Duke of Sussex told ITV News that he will always be a member of the family and that he was doing the work he was ”born to do”.

However, it came during a private trip, rather than an official one even though the event appeared to have many of the aspects of the kind of visit Harry might have expected to make while a working member of the Royal Family. And that’s led to questions.

While there’s no doubt that Harry remains part of the family, in the sense that he is the son of the current Monarch and the brother of the future King, he very famously stepped back as a working member of the royals, along with his wife, Meghan.

In 2020, the couple announced they wanted to make a new life for themselves as half in/half out royals. They said they wanted to continue to represent the Monarchy at some events, such as Trooping the Colour, but to also have the ability to pursue business interests. This was flatly rejected by Queen Elizabeth II. Harry and Meghan are no longer permitted to use their HRHs and they don’t carry out royal engagements of any kind. In the past five years, they have set up businesses, including the Duchess of Sussex’s As Ever range, and made TV programmes on a range of topics including their lives behind palace walls.

However, their recent actions and Harry’s latest interview have raised questions.

The duke’s statement that he remains a part of the Royal Family has been interpreted in some quarters as going further than saying he is related to King Charles. Some have interpreted it as a claim that his current activities are part of the royal set up.

The controversy has been heightened by a recent visit made by Harry and Meghan to Australia. The trip, effectively by two private citizens, saw them visit a children’s hospital as well as meet some of those affected by the Bondi Beach attack. However, it also included business echoes such as the Duchess of Sussex launching an online link to buy clothes she had worn during the visit. It was seen as an attempt, by some, to cash in on royal links and in contradiction to the ‘Sandringham Summit’ which put paid to the ‘half in/ half out’ model presented by the Sussexes.

The latest interview and visits aren’t truly ‘half in/ half out’ as Harry and Meghan aren’t working royals. Whatever the optics of any visit, they ultimately remain private citizens. However, they are famous private citizens. During his time in Ukraine, Harry made calls for the US to increase its support for the country, comments which led to President Trump claiming that he spoke more for the UK than Harry did.

The Duke of Sussex will be aware that The King is about to make a crucial State Visit to the US. His comments created a situation that wasn’t authorised by the Royal Family and certainly wasn’t advertised to them in advance. And this is where Harry’s latest claims really become controversial. Harry could be seen as acting for the Firm without letting the Firm know what, where or how he’s acting for them. And no Firm, royal or not, can tolerate that.

The issue with the model of half in/ half out as it was mooted was that it was always on Harry and Meghan’s terms. There was never a quid pro quo of what they would do. Their support for the royals was always within the sphere of how it would benefit team Sussex, not the bigger overall team. And that remains an issue now. Yes, Harry will always be the son of Charles III, the brother of a future king called William. But the concept of the Royal Family is much bigger than kith and kin. Harry knows as well as the next person that it implies a role within an institution. And the model he proposes for that role still appears to be purely about his plans. No wonder Buckingham Palace hasn’t said a word.