Prince George starts Eton College as Harry and Meghan grapple with 'brutal put

Prince George starts Eton College as Harry and Meghan grapple with 'brutal put-down'

Harry, Meghan surprised by King's confirmation they will remain non-working members of Royal Family

It was a day of ups and downs for the Royal Family as, on the one hand, Prince George started his first day at prestigious Eton College and, on the other, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, grappled with their status as non-working members of the Royal Family.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were all smiles as Prince George started his first day at the 600-year-old school Tuesday morning, following in his father's footsteps. The trio appeared relaxed as they dropped off George, King Charles's 13-year-old grandson and second in line to the throne.

"Welcome, good luck and enjoy," said headteacher Simon Henderson, shaking hands with George before ushering everyone inside to the school where George will be boarding.

Later, George was photographed grinning in his new school uniform: a black tailcoat, waistcoat and a white collar.

Eton is the alma mater for many of ​the ⁠country's elite, including Prince William and Prince Harry, and has educated 20 British prime ministers, including Boris Johnson and David Cameron, as well as actors Hugh Laurie, Damian ⁠Lewis ​and Tom Hiddleston.

As BBC reports, George's time at Eton will likely see him somewhat shielded from media and public attention. Prince William has previously spoken about much he enjoyed being "just another student" at the school.

Harry and Meghan 'surprised' by letter

On the other hand, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, experienced what some observers are calling a rude awakening back in the U.K. after Charles confirmed Monday they will remain non-working royals.

The news, which came in the form of a letter from Buckingham Palace sent to senior British officials, said that after ​Harry and Meghan stepped down from official royal duties in 2020, they "are no longer working members ​of the Royal Family."

"In short, their position is akin to ​private citizens with commercial and charitable interests," the letter stated.

The 'shockwaves' of Prince Harry and Meghan's return to the U.K.

Charles confirms Harry and Meghan to remain non-working royals after their return to U.K.

On Tuesday, The Associated Press reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were surprised by the way Buckingham Palace released the letter. It caught the couple off guard when it was released to the media on Monday in part because they were given little time to review or comment on its contents, a person familiar with the discussions told AP.

They were "a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance," their representative said in a statement on Tuesday, as reported by BBC.

The couple’s representatives received a copy of the letter just one hour and 12 minutes before it was released to news outlets, the person said. That left them with little time to respond because they were unable to reach Harry, who was in a meeting, until just two minutes before the letter was released, the person added.

The letter reiterates the palace's previous stance.

Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020 when they moved to North America to make their own living, turning to ventures such as deals with Netflix and Spotify. At the time, Queen Elizabeth made clear that the couple could not be part-time royals. Charles reiterated that position after he became King in 2022.

Harry and Meghan moving back to the U.K.

In an interview with GB News, royal historian Alexander Larman called Charles' move a "brutal put-down."

"I would call it a right royal knees-up, actually, because Harry's just been back a couple of weeks now and we're seeing how it's all going for him," Larman said.

"This is basically the King saying: 'You're back, I'm delighted on a paternal level that you're back. But, as head of a firm, I'm making it very, very clear that you are not back in the Royal Family."

As CBC's The Royal Fascinator reported over the weekend, Harry and Meghan's return to the U.K. set off shockwaves because it seems so counterintuitive and contradictory to everything that they have said since they left.

Royal expert Phil Dampier told The Sun the King's statement was a "warning shot" not to overshadow the Royal Family.

"It’s really sending out a message — a warning shot across their bows, you could say. What they’re [the palace] emphasizing is that nothing has changed as far as they’re concerned," Dampier said.

"Now that they’ve come back and might start turning up to various charity events or doing commercial activities, it’s got to be absolutely clear to everyone that they are doing it as private individuals and not as royals.”

On Monday, Meghan posted a photo on her As Ever Instagram account, in which she relaxes on a lawn with the couple's black lab, Pula. "Long weekend plans," notes the caption.

Natalie Stechyson has been a writer and editor at CBC News since 2021. She covers stories on social trends, families, gender, human interest, as well as general news. She's worked as a journalist since 2009, with stints at the Globe and Mail and Postmedia News, among others. Before joining CBC News, she was the parents editor at HuffPost Canada, where she won a silver Canadian Online Publishing Award for her work on pregnancy loss. You can reach her at natalie.stechyson@cbc.ca.

With files from Reuters, the Associated Press and CBC's The Royal Fascinator