I joined Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their big return to Nottingham – here's what the cameras didn't show

But Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appeared nothing but overjoyed to be back in Britain on Thursday as they stepped out for three engagements in Nottingham – a city very close to their hearts – marking their first joint outing since 2020.

I was lucky enough to travel up to Nottingham to witness the couple's return in person – and was struck by the couple's clear and candid delight to be out meeting people once again.

When I asked Harry outside the Community Recording Studio (CRS) – their first stop of the day – how it felt to be back, he told me: "Great!" and gave a huge thumbs up. 

Later on, outside Himmah Hub, a food poverty community action group, I asked Meghan if she was happy to be back. 

Her response was a genuine beam, telling me: "Yes, of course."

Meeting wellwishers 

Prince Harry and Meghan were met with a wholly positive reception, with cheers as they stepped out of the car – unlike protests that met the King in Cardiff. 

But a more telling story went beyond the day's news coverage.

Outside Himmah Hub, I stood with the crowd moments before the couple arrived, when a staff representative came out and asked us to give a "big cheer for Harry and Meghan". Everyone applauded, but they were clearly anxious that the couple's reception should be just right.

Notably, the crowd was considerably smaller and rather more muted than on their first visit in 2017, as a newly engaged couple. Around 150 people gathered outside CRS, with 50 each at their stops later in the day.

They included Michelle McMinn, 42, who told me outside the CRS: "I had a conversation with Meghan, told her how beautiful she was, and she was really taken aback by that, which was lovely, and then she complimented my top.

"For them to bring light to Nottingham and our charities like that, it's amazing."

Easha Beckett, 49, added: "It was really intimate; they spoke with everybody."

However, it seemed to me that Harry and Meghan were proceeding with a slight air of caution, and were keen to take things slowly as they settle back into UK outings. 

Inside Epic Partners, for example, the Duchess didn't join her husband for a game of pool.

Moments of affection, such as holding hands and Harry ushering Meghan through the crowd, delighted onlookers – but also signalled that they were looking towards one another for support.

In addition, the Sussexes only took part in one walkabout and did not greet fans outside their final two engagements, citing a strict schedule. After fans waited an hour and a half outside Himmah Hub, the couple quietly left via the back entrance without being seen.

Royal fan Manju Manson, 69, told me afterwards: "I was very, very disappointed, like other people in the crowd, that they did not come out the front main door, just to say thank you or wave to us, or even say goodbye."

Her friend Marykate Brinklow, 86, added: "We were waiting quite a while and we were a little bit disappointed."

Changing times 

Harry and Meghan's much-anticipated outing certainly bore many hallmarks of a royal visit – including a meet-and-greet, and even a pooled media system inside the venues. 

Just like traditional royal engagements, photographers and journalists gathered outside were kept behind barriers, as were crowds of well-wishers, some clutching flowers.

But there were also a few, yet stark, differences. 

Harry and Meghan were accompanied by their private security team, though city council community protection officers were in place, and police showed up to control crowds at their final engagement. They did not have the official police protection granted to working royals on behalf of the Crown, as this was removed in 2020.

And though cheery, the atmosphere was certainly different to nine years ago, when HELLO!'s royal correspondent, Tracy Schaverein, visited Nottingham to welcome the couple on their first visit there.

She recalled: "Along with other media and hundreds of royal fans, I stood in the street as the couple worked the crowd, who shouted their names and handed over flowers, sweets and handmade cards.

"There was such a feeling of optimism and positivity among us; not only had Harry finally found his person, but she was going to be a brilliant asset to Queen and country.

"It's interesting that they have chosen Nottingham for their first post-Megxit public appearance back on British soil. Perhaps they are hoping to rekindle the magic that I witnessed nine years ago."

Prince Harry and Meghan are clearly pleased to be back – and Thursday's visit proved that they've still got many supporters here in the UK, and especially in the city of Nottingham – which, for many, is back where it all began.

But it was also a clear reminder that things have changed – and the clock can't be turned back. 

King Charles made it clear in a letter to senior officials last month that the Sussexes remain "private citizens", not working royals. 

Yet despite this rebuttal, Harry and Meghan appeared to show they could be just that.