The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their first public appearance together since returning to the UK, arriving in Nottingham to a large crowd of supporters. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were greeted with flowers and balloons as they visited the city's Community Recording Studio (CRS) at about 10.30am, with their day including visits to three local organisations.
Emotional reception from supporters
Fans waiting to see the couple were eager to show their appreciation, particularly towards Meghan. Ria Miller, who was waiting outside to catch a glimpse of the Duke and Duchess, told the Daily Express: "I'm a Sussex supporter, as a woman and a mother, I see what Megan goes through daily, multiple articles written about her often false and debunked. And I just want them to see that there are real people, not social media trolls or royal commentators."
Miller added: "They are real people that see her, appreciate and love her, respect her. Give her the love. I got to give her a bouquet of flowers - we wanted to give her physical representation of our love. She's a woman of colour. There's a lot of microaggressions around it. What has she done? Has she killed anybody? I did speak to her. And I said, We're proud of you. We support you. She had water in her eyes. It was a beautiful reception. Very proud of Nottingham today."
Scheduled engagements in the city
The Duchess is scheduled to join young girls for a confidence-building and bracelet-making workshop during the visit. The couple will also visit Himmah Hub, where they will participate in a cooking class and help pack food-parcel donations.
Today's visit marks the first time in four years that Meghan has appeared publicly for an event in the UK. Since their return, King Charles has made it clear that any events involving the Sussexes should not be affiliated with the Firm or treated as official royal engagements, clarifying that Harry and Meghan are to be treated as "private citizens".
The pair responded by saying they were "surprised" by the letter sent to UK officials on behalf of the King, and that they consider themselves as "public figures".
