Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their first appearance in front of a crowd since their return to England last month, six years after they gave up their royal duties and moved to California.
The royal couple welcomed cheering crowds to the community recording studio in Nottingham, central England, which uses music, performance and sports programs to help young people build confidence and develop practical skills.
They were met with warm applause and cheers from the audience. The Associated Press reported that one woman shouted: “We love you, Duchess Meghan, we love you.”
Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, leave after a visit to Hemma Food Bank in Nottingham, England, Thursday, October 15, 2026.
AP Photo/Maja Smiejkowska
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex took selfies, hugged and shook hands with fans, and spent time speaking with members of the public.
The visit was the first of several events scheduled in the British city. Nottingham is where they made their first public appearance after announcing their engagement in 2017.
After the community recording studio, the couple will head to Hemma, the region’s largest food bank, and Epic Partners, which provides sports, educational and mentoring programs for underprivileged youth.
Get breaking national news
Get Canada breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you never miss a trending story.
The day also included an announcement showcasing Harry and Meghan’s titles as Duke and Duchess of Sussex and a pre-arranged media kit to report on their movements.
The couple are non-working members of the royal family, and their public appearances are not considered official engagements on behalf of the Crown.
In a letter sent on behalf of King Charles III, Harry’s father, to UK government officials shortly after Harry and Meghan returned to the country permanently, the palace reiterated that the couple would not use their titles “His Royal Highness” or “Her Royal Highness” and that any charitable work they did would be done in a private capacity.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down from their royal duties and moved to California more than six years ago, where they have secured lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify through their media company Archewell Productions. Several years later, Harry’s best-selling memoirs were published additionalIts publication in 2023 deepened the growing rift between the royals after it aired private details about the family.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, welcome well-wishers as they arrive at the Community Recording Studio (CRS), a youth and community charity offering a wide range of creative activities, sports, mentoring and youth development programs on October 15, 2026, in Nottingham, England.
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Their relationship with the royal family remains tense, although Harry recently expressed interest in reconciling so he can spend more time with his father, who is being treated for an unknown type of cancer.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that Harry and Meghan visited the United Kingdom in July, where they met with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House, a country estate west of London.
When it was revealed that Charles would be diagnosed with cancer in 2024, Harry expressed his desire to spend time with his father.
“Life is precious,” he said. “I don’t know how much time my father has left.” He told the BBC last May. “He won’t talk to me because of these security matters, but it would be nice if we could reconcile.”
Prince Harry revealed last week that he struggled with his mental health and fell into depression after leaving England and moving to Canada in 2019. He, his wife, and their eldest child, Archie, spent a short period at a private estate on Vancouver Island before moving to California.
“It was me, my wife and our son Archie, and we moved to Canada to get some space away from everything so we could think,” Harry said. the people and Hollywood Reporter.
“Being in Canada, away from the stressful environment where adrenaline is supposed to be pumping through my whole body, within two or three days, I had this crash of adrenaline, which I had never experienced before,” he continued.
Harry is also embroiled in a years-long battle to restore taxpayer-funded security, which was scrapped when the couple stepped away from official royal duties. Now that they are back in England, A.J New evaluation Work is underway to qualify them for government protection.
—With files from The Associated Press and Global News’ Katie Scott
&Copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
