The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were greeted with cheers and praise during their first joint public outing in Nottingham last Thursday, but it has been claimed that some of the enthusiasm may have been encouraged beforehand.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited several charities during the day, including Community Recording Studio (CRS) in St Ann's, the Himmah Hub Food Poverty Community Group, and Epic Partners. The couple were swamped with gifts, flowers, requests for selfies, and handshakes.
Charity staff reportedly asked crowds to cheer
Hello! Royal Correspondent Eleanor Dye, who was in Nottingham on Thursday, said one of the charities the couple were visiting asked people to cheer. Speaking on A Right Royal Podcast, Hello! Royal editor Emily Nash and Editorial Director Andrea Caamano discussed how the public response may have been set up.
Andrea said: “Our Online Royal Correspondent Eleanor Dye was there. At the second engagement, she did say to us that people from the charity, not related obviously to Harry and Megan, did come out before they arrived and told the crowds, 'Make sure you cheer very loudly when they come out' and 'You can say, Meghan, I love you', which I thought was strange.
"But I wonder if the charity was maybe worried. They did see a big crowd, and you never know how it will respond. So I wonder if they were warming them up before their arrival."
Reactions to the alleged setup
Emily said: "Yes, that’s quite unusual, I must say. I've never really seen that happen, apart from perhaps if you have a group of schoolchildren who are told to stop fighting, for example, or, ‘Make sure you sing nicely’ or something like that, just before a member of the Royal Family arrives. So that in itself is interesting."
A representative for Harry and Meghan has been contacted for comment, as has the charity that was alleged to have asked people to cheer.
Couple said to be 'thrilled' with reception
Regardless of whether this was the case, it is believed that Harry and Meghan were “thrilled” with the reception they received and with how their day in Nottingham went. When speaking to members of the public, Meghan looked visibly emotional on many occasions, including when she was praised by fans and warmly welcomed back.
Prince Harry looked protective over his wife around the crowds, but equally seemed to enjoy meeting members of the public. When told by a group of women to “look after” Meghan, the Duke smiled and reassured them, telling them “of course”.
It is not known when Harry and Meghan next plan to step out together for a public outing. These outings are not done on behalf of the Royal Family, as they are non-working royals. Instead, they are charitable visits carried out by the couple as private citizens.
