The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had an emotional reunion with their Grenfell “ladies” as they staged their first joint engagement since returning to the UK.
Meghan and Harry kissed, hugged and held hands with the four women featured in a cookbook championed by the duchess, after being invited to join the couple’s visit to a Nottingham-based food poverty action group.
The Sussexes began their day in the city with Meghan declaring “it’s great to be back” as they greeted the public outside their first event – a tour of the Community Recording Studio – which set the tone for the day which had a quasi-royal feel.
They set up home back in England in August, a dramatic U-turn six years after sparking the Megxit crisis and quitting the working monarchy for a new life in the US.
Since the couple’s return, stories about their security concerns have made headlines but they appeared at ease getting close to the public and received a warm response from well-wishers.
Meghan kissed 90-year-old Irene Hardman on the cheek outside the studio and give her a hug after she showed her a framed photograph of the Sussexes’ 2017 visit to Nottingham – their first joint official public appearance after announcing their engagement.
The duchess said: “Oh my gosh. How sweet is that? This was our very first walkabout”, while Ms Hardman told her: “I remember you, my darling.”
At the food poverty action charity Himmah Hub the couple washed their hands and put on aprons to help chefs preparing a chicken tagine lunch, but first Meghan made a beeline for the Grenfell cooks helping out in the kitchen.
She walked past food demonstrations staged by charity volunteers saying: “I want to meet all of you, it smells amazing, but I have to go see my ladies first.”
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to Himmah Hub in Nottingham (Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA)
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Meghan went into the kitchen and individually hugged Dayo Gilmour, Intlak Alsaiegh, Faiza Hayani Bellili and Leila Hedjem, and then there was a large group embrace.
As they greeted each other, one woman said “it’s been too long” and Meghan replied “at least five years” and a few minutes later they were joined by Harry who was also embraced by the women, as one said “we’ve missed you so much”.
Meghan wrote the foreword to Together, a collection of global dishes by women from the Grenfell community and others, published in 2018, which raised almost £800,000 to expand their culinary work at the Al-Manaar mosque in north Kensington.
The duke and duchess also toured a nearby foodbank and warehouse run by Himmah which provides up to 1,500 bags of groceries to families in Nottingham every month.
The couple helped volunteers pack the carrier bags with tinned vegetables and some sweet treats, but Harry quickly spotted what he claimed was a flaw in their system.
The duke said a packet of biscuits was among the first items collected, followed by a large number of tins, and he suggested “you don’t want a bag full of crushed biscuits”, before filling another carrier with the delicate treats on top.
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to Himmah Hub in Nottingham (Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA)
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Meghan replied “top tip” with a smile.
As they left the duchess was asked about catching up with the Grenfell cooks and said it was “really, really meaningful,” while Harry echoed her earlier words when he told the BBC: “It’s great to be back, wonderful, and great to be back in Nottingham too.”
Meghan, wearing her hair in a ponytail, was dressed in all British designs for her return to public engagements in the UK and also sported her customised fitness Oura tracker ring.
Earlier Inside the Community Recording Studio, Meghan chatted to young girls aged 10 and 11 during a confidence-building and bracelet-making workshop where they discussed what makes them feel most like themselves.
The duchess, whose Netflix lifestyle With Love, Meghan show centred around hosting and cooking, said: “I feel most like myself when I’m with my family and also when I’m cooking.
“I love doing that. I love to cook.”
The Duke of Sussex helps pack a food parcel during a visit to Himmah Hub in Nottingham (Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA)
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And when one youngster mentioned her passion for gymnastics, Meghan replied: “Oh yeah. Our daughter is doing that too right now. She loves it.”
The high-profile events are not official royal engagements – with a letter to Government stakeholders authorised by the King last month clarifying the Sussexes remain “private citizens” – but they appeared to bear all the hallmarks of such.
They are being protected by their private security team during the day, and do not enjoy the benefit of the police convoys assigned to senior working royals.
In keeping with traditional royal engagements, there were scores of photographers and journalists gathered outside, kept behind barriers as were the crowds, while a small number of press covered events inside.
Harry and Meghan are waiting to hear whether they will be granted taxpayer-funded security, with the duke said to fear a delay after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced a review of security measures for the royal family and public figures in the wake of the death of Reform UK’s justice spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe.
The Duke licks icing from his hand as he and the Duchess of Sussex decorate birthday cupcakes during a visit to Epic Partners in Nottingham (Joe Giddens/PA)
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It marks the first time in four years that Meghan has appeared publicly at events in the UK, the last time being the late Queen’s funeral in 2022.
They ended their day with Harry licking icing from his hand as he frosted birthday cupcakes, but his wife, who shared cooking tips on her Netflix show completed the icing task in a neat fashion.
During their visit to the charity Epic Partners, Harry was also able to show off some of his skills on the pool table – potting the winning ball.