NOTTINGHAM: Prince Harry and his wife Meghan appeared together in public on Thursday for the first time since they made a surprise return to Britain, revisiting the city where they made their maiden joint official engagement nine years ago.
Harry, the younger son of King Charles, and Meghan shocked the monarch and other members of the royal family when they relocated from California to England two months ago with their children Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.
In their first joint public outing since then, the couple returned to Nottingham in central England which they visited in 2017, shortly after it was announced they were getting married.
"It’s great to be back," Harry said. "Wonderful and great to be back in Nottingham, too."
They began by visiting a recording studio run by a youth and community charity which has received support from a £1.1 million (US$1.46 million) donation announced by Harry last year.
At their next stop at the Himmah charity, which tackles food poverty, Meghan was reunited with four contributors to a charity cookbook released to raise funds in the wake of London's Grenfell Tower fire disaster.
She had donated £10,000 from the book's proceeds to help the Himmah hub.
"We feel very protective of her. We absolutely love her," said one of the four women, Leila Hedjem.
The engagements concluded with a visit to another charity the couple have backed which supports young people and is linked to their previous visit in 2017.
Harry and Meghan divide public opinion
Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have become deeply polarising figures since they stepped down from royal duties to move to California in 2020, going on to deliver scathing criticism of both the prince's family and the royal institution itself.
Opinion polls show a majority of Britons hold a negative opinion of them, although young people are far more sympathetic.
On their visit to Nottingham nine years ago, when they were "working royals", they were met by large flag-waving cheering crowds.
Thursday's visit was a much lower-key affair, as the couple are now officially private citizens.
However, they were greeted by about 100 excited schoolchildren and well-wishers, along with large numbers of media.
Meghan looked emotional as one woman handed her a large bouquet of flowers and gave her a hug.
"I love seeing them, I'm pleased they're back," said Robin Warrener, who had also been among the crowd in 2017. "There's far too much of the negative stuff. Every time you put the television on the news, there are snide remarks from the media, and I don't like it," Warrener said.
When Harry made his first solo public appearance since their relocation, he declared it was "good to be back on British soil", but their return has not been without difficulties.
The location of their new home has been kept private amid security concerns and they are not living in a royal residence.
They had to move their children to a new school not long after they started term because of concerns about security, with the couple's spokesman also condemning the actions of "certain European paparazzi" intruding into their privacy.