Harry and Meghan make first joint public appearances in Nottingham since moving back to UK

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, spent Thursday visiting three charities in Nottingham, marking the first time they have appeared in public together since relocating to Britain, PBS NewsHour reported, citing the Associated Press.

Their first stop was the Community Recording Studio, which works with young people through music, the performing arts and sport to strengthen their self-confidence and everyday abilities. BBC News said the pair were greeted by cheering crowds on arrival, and PBS NewsHour noted that schoolchildren were especially excited to see them.

The couple went on to Himmah Hub, which PBS NewsHour called the biggest food bank in the region, and then to Epic Partners, a group offering mentoring, schooling support and sport to young people from deprived backgrounds. At each location they posed for selfies, hugged well-wishers and shook hands, according to the outlet.

The venue was symbolic, both outlets said. In 2017, shortly after their engagement became public, the couple chose Nottingham for their first outing together. PBS NewsHour reported that Harry's links with the studio and with Epic Partners go back over ten years, while Meghan collaborated with Himmah on a cookbook released in 2018.

According to PBS NewsHour, the visits carried some trappings of official royal engagements, including an announcement that used the Sussex titles and a pre-organized press pool. Archewell, the couple's charitable organization from their years in America, was barely referenced.

BBC News noted that the two are no longer working royals. PBS NewsHour reported that, soon after they moved back in September, the palace wrote to senior government figures on the king's behalf, saying the couple would still not be styled His or Her Royal Highness and that their charitable activities would be undertaken privately. The outlet said releasing that letter publicly signaled worry among some palace officials that the couple's fame could draw attention away from working members of the family.

The couple left their royal roles in 2020, settled in California and went on to sign agreements with Netflix and Spotify. PBS NewsHour reported that ties with other royals soured after the couple alleged palace staff had been insensitive about Meghan's mental health and accused family members of racism and of manipulating the media. Relations have improved lately, the outlet said, as Harry has spoken of wanting to reconcile with King Charles III, 77, who has been receiving cancer treatment since a 2024 diagnosis.

PBS NewsHour said the family is reportedly living in a private home in the Cotswolds. It added that Harry continues to press for taxpayer-funded police protection, withdrawn when the couple stepped back, and that security concerns recently led the children to move schools.

Compiled by True News from reporting by PBS NewsHour and BBC News. Each outlet's original story is linked below.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/152