Prince Harry and Meghan make first joint appearances since returning to UK

Three stops in Nottingham

The couple began at the Community Recording Studio, where music, performance and sports programs help young people build confidence and practical skills. They received a warm welcome, including cheers from schoolchildren.

They also visited Himmah Hub, described as central England’s biggest food bank, and Epic Partners, which provides sports, education and mentoring for disadvantaged young people. At all three stops, they greeted supporters with selfies, hugs and handshakes.

A return with royal sensitivities

The Nottingham appearances were their first joint public visit since moving back to England. The city also carries significance for the couple: they made their first joint appearance there after announcing their engagement in 2017.

The day included references to their Sussex titles and a prearranged media pool. Archewell, their philanthropic venture, received little mention. King Charles III has said they remain non-working royals, and the palace stated that they would not use their HRH forms of address and would carry out charity work as private citizens.

The palace letter to senior government officials was also released to the media. The report says some palace officials feared the couple’s celebrity could create a parallel royal court competing for attention and public support.

Family tensions and security

Harry and Meghan left royal duties and moved to California in July 2020, saying they wanted to earn their own living. They later signed contracts with Netflix and Spotify. Relations with the royal family worsened after the couple criticized palace staff and made allegations of racism and media manipulation.

Tensions have eased in recent months as Harry has expressed a wish to reconcile with his father. He has said he wants their children to know their grandfather, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer discovered in 2024.

The couple and their children are reportedly living at a private, nonroyal home in the Cotswolds. Harry continues to seek publicly funded police protection, which ended when the couple left royal duties; he says his family remains at risk because of his royal status. The report says the children changed schools shortly after the new school year began because of security concerns.