LONDON – Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, made their first royal-style public appearance on Thursday since returning to the United Kingdom with their two children.
Harry, 42, and Meghan, 45, were visiting three charities in Nottingham, as they seek to rebuild their image in Britain six years after stepping away from royal life.
Nottingham, a city in central England known as the scene of the famous “Robin Hood” legend, holds a special place in the couple’s history as it is where they made their first joint public appearance after announcing their engagement in 2017.
“It’s almost coming full circle because it’s very much like a royal engagement,” said NBC News royal contributor Emily Nash.
Thursday’s events began with a visit to the Community Recording Studio, a Nottingham youth and community charity that Harry has visited before, including last year. They were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd, largely made up of young children.
Harry and Meghan, who wore a long burgundy coat, stopped to take selfies, hug and shake hands. They also spent a few minutes chatting with the public and the children.
The couple was also scheduled to visit the region’s largest food bank, Himmah, and Epic Partners, which provides mentoring, sports and education programs for underprivileged youth.
Noting that the couple will be visiting a charity with which Harry has a “long history”, Nash said they were sure to “receive a warm welcome” given their “long relationship with her”.
But they haven’t always received such a warm welcome since returning to the UK with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.
The couple remain locked in a public row with Buckingham Palace over their status and lack of publicly funded police protection.
A letter sent on behalf of King Charles III to senior government and military officials confirmed that Harry and Meghan remain non-working members of the royal family. A spokesperson for the couple told NBC News they were “surprised” by the letter, although they accepted that status when they left Britain for a quieter life in Montecito, an affluent coastal enclave of Santa Barbara.
Their relationship with the royal family has been strained in the years since, with the couple making explosive allegations of racism and bullying in their Netflix documentary “Harry & Meghan” and in Harry’s memoir, “Spare.”
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