The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to make their first joint public appearance in the UK in four years as they visit Nottingham for a series of engagements on Thursday. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will visit three organisations in the city, meeting young people and community groups as part of a day focused on youth support, food poverty and mentoring.
The couple returned to England in August, six years after stepping back from their roles as senior working royals and moving to the US in a decision widely known as Megxit. Their latest visit will see them head to the Community Recording Studio (CRS), the Himmah Hub and Epic Partners, which supports children, young people and families through sports programmes, mentoring and education.
Private Citizens, Public Appearances
Although the high-profile appearances are not official royal engagements, they are expected to follow a similar format to traditional royal visits. A letter sent to Government stakeholders and authorised by King Charles last month clarified that Harry and Meghan remain private citizens. The letter is said to have caught the couple off guard, with the Sussexes reportedly viewing themselves as public figures.
Thursday's visit will also mark Meghan's first public appearance at an event in the UK since the late Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022. Harry and Meghan carried out their final official joint royal engagement in March 2020, when they joined members of the Royal Family for the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.
Different Professional Priorities
However, the duchess is expected to make such appearances relatively rarely as she prioritises her family, her As Ever lifestyle brand and a possible return to acting. A source said the couple had different professional priorities, with Harry focused on philanthropy and public service, while Meghan's attention was on their children and her business.
The source said: "Prince Harry's is his philanthropic work and public service. Her focus is on her family and children, followed by her business, followed by rebooting her acting career. Her public appearances will be relatively rare. She is reading a lot of scripts at the moment." They added that any additional time Meghan had would be spent on charity work, describing her as a full-time mother and entrepreneur rather than a working royal.
Speculation and Support
Speculation has surrounded how the former Suits actress would spend her time in the UK, with reports suggesting she had been in talks about a role in the hit Netflix series The Gentlemen. However, a friend of Meghan told Hello! magazine that the duchess was ready to "stick her head above the parapet" during the Nottingham visit. The friend said: "She's up for it. There are still causes and there are still issues that Meghan is really passionate about supporting, and Nottingham is one of those."
During Thursday's visit, Harry and Meghan will spend time at CRS, a youth and community charity in St Ann's. The duke is due to meet musician and poet Jah Digga, who attended the studio as a child, while Meghan will join young girls for a confidence-building session and a bracelet-making workshop. Harry previously visited CRS in September last year, when he personally donated £1.1 million to BBC Children In Need to support young people affected by violence.
Community Engagement and Security Concerns
The couple will also visit Himmah Hub, where they are expected to take part in a cooking class and help pack food parcels for donations. The visit will reconnect Meghan with women from the Hubb Community Kitchen, which she supported during her time as a working royal. In 2018, her first solo project as a member of the Royal Family involved supporting a cookbook produced by the women behind the community kitchen. The group had come together to help families affected by the Grenfell Tower fire in west London.
Their final stop will be Epic Partners, an organisation supporting children, young people and families in the St Ann's and Sneinton areas through youth work, sport, mentoring and education. The Nottingham appearances follow other UK visits by Harry, including his attendance at the annual WellChild Awards last month. Meanwhile, the Sussexes are awaiting a decision on whether they will be granted taxpayer-funded security when visiting the UK. Harry is reportedly concerned about a potential delay after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced a review of security arrangements for the Royal Family and public figures following the death of Reform UK's justice spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe.
