Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been accused of trying to take the 'back door' back into royal life, even after the King clarified their non-royal positions as private citizens following their UK return. The couple are set to visit Nottingham this week for their first royal-style joint engagement since moving back to Britain, with critics saying their plans look an awful lot like a royal engagement.
It is understood that the couple will visit a number of organisations in the city on Thursday, October 15. One of the couple's well-known critics, royal journalist and author Robert Jobson, has shared his view on the couple's next move and accused them of overriding and ignoring the guidance set out by the Lord Chamberlain in his letter that said the Sussexes are to be treated as "private citizens".
Critic Says Couple Have 'Just Walked Back In The Door'
In a recent Substack entry, the royal author said that the Sussexes' team are calling their upcoming appearances "engagements", and that the couple have essentially "just walked back in the door". He wrote: "They have decided to do what they said they were going to do when they first put out that Instagram notice while the late Queen was alive.
"They didn't care what the rulings were then, and they don't now. As far as they are concerned, the standing agreement is gone."
In a post on X, he added: "Surely the Palace should act?" However, in his Substack piece, he said that the Palace is "pretty powerless to stop two people with enough money and enough fame doing exactly what they want to do".
Return to the UK Amid Security Dispute
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's return to the UK has not been without its drama. They have been embroiled in a rather public dispute about their security situation, while safety concerns actually forced them to withdraw their two children from the school they had initially enrolled them in.
Harry has made a number of appearances, including at events related to the Invictus Games. However, Meghan has not been seen with him in any official capacity.
Earlier this year, the couple embarked on a tour of Australia, which was called "quasai-royal" by many spectators. The pair have since received criticism over their apparent "half-in-half-out" royal attitude, which they were famously denied by Queen Elizabeth II before their departure from the UK.
First Joint Engagement in Nottingham
Harry and Meghan's first visit will be to a youth and community charity in their first joint engagement since returning to the UK, their office has confirmed. The Community Recording Studio (CRS) in St Ann's, Nottingham, was originally set up to give young people access to music and recording facilities and now offers them a range of creative activities to take part in, alongside sport, mentoring and youth development.
They will then visit two other charitable organisations during their time in the city, one to coincide with World Food Poverty Day on Friday. It is understood that they have a particular appreciation for Nottingham, as they paid a visit to the city in 2017, where they were greeted by enthusiastic crowds in Nottingham's Lace Market. The Daily Express has contacted a Sussexes' spokesperson for comment.
