Prince Harry and Meghan make first joint appearance since UK return

Prince Harry and Meghan visited three charities in Nottingham on Thursday, marking their first joint public appearance since moving back to the United Kingdom in August.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were greeted by cheering crowds in Nottingham, where they took selfies and accepted flowers from well-wishers. According to the BBC and NBC News, the couple visited the Community Recording Studio and were also scheduled to visit the food bank Himmah and the mentoring program Epic Partners. The visit mirrors their first joint public engagement as a couple following their 2017 engagement announcement.

While the couple received a warm reception from the public, Euronews reported that the appearance puts them at odds with Buckingham Palace. A letter from the King released last month clarified that the couple's position is now "akin to private citizens" and that they should no longer be addressed as his or her royal highness. Fox News reported that some experts have criticized the trip as "royal theatre," accusing the couple of attempting to recreate the optics of official duties without having royal authority.

NBC News noted that the couple moved back to the UK with their children, seven-year-old Archie and five-year-old Lilibet, after spending six years in California. A spokesperson for the couple told NBC News they were "surprised" by the King's recent letter regarding their non-working status, though they had previously accepted that role when they stepped back from royal life in 2020.

Despite building bridges with King Charles, Euronews reported that Harry remains estranged from his brother, Prince William. The ongoing dispute also involves the couple's lack of publicly funded police protection. During Thursday's events, Meghan was pictured wearing a long burgundy coat as the couple focused on charities supporting music, sport, and food poverty relief.

Background

Prince Harry and Meghan stepped down as working members of the royal family in 2020. Before her death in 2022, Queen Elizabeth II ruled out a "half-in/half-out" arrangement that would allow the couple to pursue commercial interests while representing the sovereign.