Meghan Markle and Prince Harry “never agreed” that they wouldn’t have a “half-in” approach to royal life, according to a friend.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped out in Nottingham last week for a series of charity visits, the couple’s first major joint outing since their recent move back to the U.K., prompting many comparisons to similar engagements they undertook as working members of the British royal family. In January 2020, they announced their intention to “step back as senior members of the royal family,” with terms of their decision discussed at the so-called “Sandringham Summit” led by the late Queen Elizabeth.

Although Queen Elizabeth rejected the idea of the couple being “half-in, half-out” then, ruling that they could not represent the monarchy while pursuing private commercial interests, a friend recently told Hello! magazine that Meghan, 45, and Prince Harry, 42, didn’t agree to that decision.

“It doesn’t trouble them,” the friend claimed. “They never agreed they wouldn’t be half in, half out. That was what was decided and foisted upon them.”

“They’re just living their lives and they can, because they’re financially independent,” the friend added.

PEOPLE has reached out to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for comment.

Later in 2020, the couple settled in Montecito, Calif., where they raised their children — Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5 — for six years before returning to the U.K. for an extended period two months ago.

Shortly after their return, King Charles issued a letter via the Lord Chamberlain reiterating that there was “no change” to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s status. The letter stated that Harry and Meghan are “no longer working Members of The Royal Family” and that their charitable work “is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity. In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.”

A source close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex pushed back on the description as “private citizens,” telling PEOPLE, “They are public figures. Members of the public know who they are. The idea that they can live a normal, ‘private’ life is sadly not realistic.”

Also over the weekend, a friend of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told The Times that they “hate” the phrase “working members of the royal family.”

“ ‘Working members of the royal family’ is a really lazy phrase. He hates it, she hates it,” the friend said. “They are not ‘working’ for the institution, but they are members of the royal family, and they work.”

The friend said that the Sussexes also dislike the term “former royals.”

“Things like Nottingham aren’t done in the name of the institution or the crown, but Harry is the son of the King, he is still a member of the royal family, he’s just not a member of the institution,” the friend told The Times. “It’s misleading to call them ‘former royals.’ It has an impact on how they’re perceived and the way people talk about them.”

Hello! reported that Harry and Meghan will only make a “handful” of joint appearances over the next year. Prince Harry will carry out more solo engagements, including those focused on the upcoming 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, while Meghan runs her As ever lifestyle brand and potentially eyes a return to acting.

However, the couple was said to be “genuinely thrilled” with their visit to Nottingham. The city has special significance for the couple — it was the site of their first royal walkabout following their engagement in 2017 — and they were happy to be back.

A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan told PEOPLE, “Everyone came away feeling really positive and genuinely thrilled by the love and support they received.”

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Meghan Markle Says ‘It’s Great to Be Back’ as She and Prince Harry Make First Official Joint Outing Since U.K. Move

Meghan was heard telling well-wishers, “It’s great to be back.” Harry shared the same sentiment with the BBC, saying, “Wonderful and great to be back in Nottingham too.”