Meghan Markle is ready to stick her head above the parapet: 'Her diary is full'

The Duchess of Sussex is ready to "stick her head above the parapet" as she steps out on a public visit with Prince Harry in the UK this week for the first time in six years. 

The couple, who bowed out of royal engagements in March 2020, will visit three charitable organisations in Nottingham, the city where they made their first public appearance following their engagements in 2017. 

"She's up for it," a friend tells HELLO!. "There are still causes and there are still issues that Meghan is really passionate about supporting, and Nottingham is one of those."

Inside Harry and Meghan's high-profile return

"There's a nice synergy there with them being back in the UK, it being their first engagement as a couple here and their first since they’ve been back in the UK. Nottingham holds a special place in their hearts."

The joint outing is likely to be one of only a handful the couple will carry out in the coming year, however. Sources close to the Sussexes say Meghan will continue to focus on her children, her As Ever brand, her acting career and charitable causes, in that order. 

"Her diary is full. It's the kids, As Ever, acting and then supporting good causes in whatever time she has left over. But she's got a really good team around As Ever, the children are a bit older, they are both in school full time," says the friend. 

"They've got the kids settled. Archie and Lili are really enjoying school. She is able to now stick her head above the parapet a little bit more. It's a case of having a little bit more time to re-look at her original career, her vocation as an actor. 

"She's looking at loads of acting offers. She's meeting a lot of writers and creatives, and reading a lot of scripts. If there's anything that stands out as being amazing, then then she'll do it."

Meghan's shifting daily priorities

Meghan was written out of the legal drama Suits, in which she played paralegal Rachel Zane, following her engagement to Prince Harry in 2017. 

Although she did not rule out a return to acting when they departed royal life in 2020, friends say she has been too busy with her young children and her As Ever brand to consider roles. Until now. 

With an established team in the US now managing the business, she has more time to spare. 

Inside Meghan's secret London tea dates and pub visits

The Duchess kept a low profile on her return to the UK in August, but has been increasingly visible in recent weeks. She and Harry were photographed walking hand-in-hand outside a Cotswolds pub earlier this month. 

Days later, Meghan joined friends for lunch at The River Cafe in Fulham, before heading to Claridge's for tea with Nobel Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai. 

She later posted photographs of them sitting with arms around each other along with a plug for her As Ever brand, announcing that 100 per cent of net profits from sales of teas and jams would be donated to the Malala Fund to mark the International Day of the Girl. 

The outing raised eyebrows from some quarters, coming just four months after Meghan declined to join Harry for charity visits in London, citing security concerns. 

Under-the-radar outings, such as her trip to the capital last week are thought to be less problematic than pre-announced appearances. 

Malala, who was shot in the head by the Taliban in Pakistan because of her campaigning on girls' education. She is accompanied by close protection officers at all times because of the ongoing threat to her safety. 

Harry and Meghan are awaiting the outcome of a recently ordered risk assessment to determine whether or not they will be granted enhanced protection by Ravec, the Home Office's Royalty and VIP Executive Committee.