Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have carried out their first joint public engagement since returning to Britain, spending a day in Nottingham visiting three community organisations. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who moved back to the UK with their children in August, met young people, charity workers and supporters during the visit.
Community Recording Studio visit
The couple's first stop was the Community Recording Studio (CRS) in St Ann's, where enthusiastic crowds greeted them. They chatted to supporters and posed for pictures before heading inside. Harry has supported the organisation's work helping young people find alternatives to violence and crime for years.
At CRS, the couple were welcomed with hugs by chief executive and co-founder Trevor Rose and Jah Diggah, a musician, poet and youth mentor. Jah received support from the charity as a youngster to move away from gang violence and has worked as a mentor there since 2017. Harry's ties to the organisation stretch back to a visit in 2013, with the duke making another appearance in September 2025.
Initially created to give young people access to music and recording facilities, CRS has expanded its work to include sport, mentoring and other creative activities. Its redevelopment is being supported by funding from Harry's £1.1million donation to BBC Children in Need, announced last year. The donation also supports targeted work by Epic with young people affected by adverse childhood experiences.
Inside the engagements
Inside the sports hall, Harry and Meghan joined young schoolchildren for a group photograph before settling down with Trevor and young people from CRS to watch an acting workshop. Actor André Squire led the session using a scene from Our Style is Legendary, written by his friend, Nottingham-based writer Daniel Hoffman-Gill. Mohammed Kone, 20, and a girl called Evie performed a scene as the couple watched, with Meghan telling them "that was great".
Meghan shared a glimpse of family life while joining young girls for a confidence-building and bracelet-making workshop. When one girl mentioned enjoying gymnastics, Meghan replied: "Oh yeah. Our daughter is doing that too right now. She loves it." She also spoke about her own interests, saying: "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."
Around 50 fans waited outside Himmah Hub as the couple arrived for their second engagement. The food poverty charity supports people in the local community, with today's programme including a visit to its food bank. The couple were also due to help prepare food packages for distribution.
Emotional reunion and final stop
An emotional reunion awaited Meghan inside Himmah Hub, where she was brought back together with women she worked with on her first solo project as Duchess of Sussex. She embraced each of them in the kitchen before pulling them into a group hug and saying: "It's been too long!" The women were members of the Hubb Community Kitchen, which became a place for families and neighbours to prepare fresh meals after the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. Published in 2018, Together: Our Community Cookbook featured 50 recipes from the women, with Meghan writing the foreword.
Harry and Meghan's final stop was Epic Partners, which supports children, young people and families in Nottingham's St Ann's and Sneinton areas through youth work, sport, mentoring and education. Inside, Harry tried his hand at pool while Meghan arranged cupcakes. The couple waved to a crowd of around 120 people before getting into a waiting car, bringing their Nottingham away day to a close.
Today's visit brought the couple back to the city they toured shortly after announcing their engagement in 2017. During that December trip, crowds cheered as the couple collected cards and flowers at a Terrence Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair. They also visited Nottingham Academy, meeting headteachers and people involved in Full Effect, a programme supporting children and young people at risk of becoming involved in violence and crime.
The joint appearance followed several appearances by Harry since the family returned to Britain at the end of August. He attended the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards and the United for Freedom gala, as well as travelling to Birmingham to launch an Invictus education programme. Meghan has continued work on her As Ever lifestyle brand, launching a Christmas collection. A friend of the couple's said that, with the family adjusting to their new home and Archie and Lilibet settled in school, they could focus on causes close to their hearts.
