The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to return to Nottingham on Thursday, the scene of their first ever joint royal engagement, for their first official outing together since their return to the UK.
The couple are understood to be 'excited' ahead of the 'royal-style' away day, which will see them visit a number of community engagements in the city. The itinerary appears to resemble the kind of visit they would have conducted before stepping back from royal duties in 2020.
Visit to Community Recording Studio
Harry and Meghan are expected to start their day at the Community Recording Studio (CRS) in St Ann’s. The studio was originally set up to give young people access to music and recording facilities and now offers a range of creative activities, alongside sport, mentoring and youth development.
They are set to get a first-hand look at the organisation, which aims to help young people facing poverty, instability, exploitation or violence build confidence and develop practical skills.
Harry’s interest in the community began with a private visit to St Ann’s in 2013. Since then, there has been backing for a programme, supported by The Royal Foundation, to help young people find alternatives to violence and crime. Meghan is believed to have met young people supported by this scheme and has also had private visits to its girls’ nurture group.
Funding and Grenfell Reunion
Harry made a £1.1 million donation to BBC Children in Need, announced during his September 2025 visit, which is being used in CRS’s redevelopment, alongside targeted work by an organisation called Epic with young people affected by adverse childhood experiences.
Meanwhile, Meghan plans to reunite with the women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, who she collaborated with on a 2018 charity cookbook, Together: Our Community Cookbook.
A source close to the couple told PEOPLE: “After they first arrived in England, their focus was on establishing a routine and getting the kids settled into school. Now they’re both excited to focus more on their work and the projects that matter to them.”
Status and Security Dispute
Since the couple and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, returned to the UK in August after living in the US for six years, they have been involved in a public spat with Buckingham Palace about their status and security detail.
They have reportedly settled in the Cotswolds, and their children have moved schools after issues were raised by their security team about the school run.
Last month, a letter sent on the King’s instruction insisted that Harry and Meghan should be viewed as “private citizens” on their return to the UK, which “surprised” the Sussexes. The unprecedented letter, issued on behalf of the King and sent to more than 100 “senior stakeholders”, said the couple should not use their HRH styles, which are still in abeyance, and that they “do not represent the sovereign” while out making public appearances.
The guidance was sent under the King's instruction by his most senior official, the Lord Chamberlain, to offer clarity over Harry and Meghan's royal status after requests for guidance. It has been issued to those in government, the military and lord lieutenants up and down the country.
But a spokesman for the Duke and Duchess said: “We were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance,” adding that the publication of the letter had caught the couple off guard.
