Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have taken part in their first joint public engagement since returning to the UK in August. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived in Nottingham this morning to visit the city's Community Recording Studio, the first stop of a packed day of engagements.
The couple, who stepped back as senior working royals and relocated to the US in 2020, met musician and poet Jah Digga, who attended CRS as a child, while Meghan joined young girls in a bracelet-making workshop. They later visited Himmah Hub, a food-poverty community action group in Nottingham.
Smaller Crowds Greet the Couple
They were greeted by fewer than 200 people at their first visit and around 50 at their second. Charlotte O'Neill was waiting outside the CRS for a glimpse of the royal couple. She said: "I came last year to see him, so I just thought, you know what, I'm just gonna come. I brought my friend along. Hopefully, we'll see Meghan as well."
Margaret Langdon was also among the fans waiting. She said: "I'm a big fan. They've come to Nottingham to see us so the least we could do is come out and see them. It's nice to see Meghan, because it's not very often you get a woman of colour in that position. So I've come out to support her."
Body Language Expert Notes New Style
Those waiting were rewarded when the couple spent 20 minutes before their first visit chatting to the crowds and posing for pictures. Body language expert Darren Stanton explained how Meghan seems to have adopted a new way of interacting with the public, similar to Kate Middleton's warm and friendly manner.
Speaking to Betfair Casino, Darren said: "Meghan is very good at working the crowd. She's confident, engaging and seems to know exactly how to build rapport with people. One thing I particularly noticed was the way she bends forward to meet people's eye line. By lowering herself slightly, she makes the interaction feel more personal and approachable."
He added: "These are traits we've seen from Catherine, and I think Meghan has adopted a similar style of interacting with the public. It's something I haven't really noticed her doing in the past, so it feels like a relatively new approach."
Harry's Protective Gestures
Darren also noticed Harry remained close to his wife during the visit in a "protective" gesture. He explained: "Overall, Meghan comes across as confident and capable, while Harry's body language suggests he's looking out for her and making sure she's settled. Once he's reassured that she's doing well, he's happy to give her the space to shine, although those occasional glances back show that he's still keeping a protective eye on her."
He continued: "Harry seems very protective of Meghan here. When they get to the vehicle, we see him holding her hand quite tightly and putting his arm around her. From a body language perspective, these are clear reassuring gestures, suggesting that he wants to make sure she feels comfortable and supported."
Darren concluded: "It's clear that Harry absolutely dotes on her. He is besotted with her in the best possible sense, and you can see that he wants to make sure she's okay and feels at ease. What's interesting is that Harry appears to stay close and protective until he's comfortable enough to move forward and engage with the crowd himself. Even then, I noticed him glancing back every now and again to check that Meghan is okay."
