By Katherine Tinsley
10:14am PST, Jan 15, 2026
HRH Status
When
Prince Harry and
Meghan Markle stepped down from their senior royal positions, the couple lost their HRH status and privileges.
"The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the royal family," Buckingham Palace said in a statement in 2020.
Patronages
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were stripped of their patronages.
"Following conversations with The Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of The Royal Family, it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service," Buckingham Palace said in a statement. "The honorary military appointments and Royal patronages held by The Duke and Duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family."
Military Ranking
Prince Harry, who served in Afghanistan, lost his military titles despite spending years in the armed forces.
Harry is no longer able to use the following titles: Captain General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington in Suffolk and Honorary Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Naval Commands' Small Ships and Diving. The Duke of Sussex was also stripped of his military ranking and appointments.
Frogmore Cottage
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle initially hoped to split their time between Canada and the U.K., but the duo ended up settling down in California.
Shortly after settling into life in the U.S., the Sussexes were evicted from their royal estate, Frogmore Cottage.
Royal Ties
After
Prince Harry left the U.K., he released several tell-all projects, which negatively impacted his relationship with
Prince William and
Kate Middleton.
Harry shared that he hopes to reconcile with his brother, but the siblings' relationship remains strained.
