Key Takeaways
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle returned to Nottingham for their first joint public engagement since moving back to Britain, revisiting the city where they debuted as an engaged couple in 2017.
- The couple reconnected with longtime partners at CRS, Himmah and Epic Partners, joining youth workshops, preparing lunch and packing food parcels for local families.
- The visit follows Harry and Meghan’s August return to the U.K. with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet after six years primarily based in California.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are back on familiar ground—and their first joint public engagement since returning to Britain brought them straight to the community where their royal journey began.
According to their official website, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited Nottingham, reconnecting with youth organizations, community kitchens, and local charities they have supported for years. The visit marked a return to the city where they made their first official joint appearance in December 2017, shortly after announcing their engagement.
This time, however, Harry and Meghan weren't introducing themselves as Britain's newest royal couple. They were checking in on relationships that continued long after they stepped away from royal duties in 2020.
Their first stop was CRS in St Ann's, a creative space where young people develop skills in music, performance and production while receiving mentorship and support.
Harry first encountered the organization during a private visit to Nottingham in 2013. Thirteen years later, he's still involved.
The couple watched a youth drama workshop led by Nottingham-born actor Andre Squire, while Harry met with community partners to discuss the Violence Impacting Young People initiative, which uses mentoring, creative opportunities and sports to help prevent youth violence.
Meghan, meanwhile, joined young women for a bracelet-making and empowerment workshop.
The afternoon brought another reunion—this time over food.
At Himmah, a community organization supporting families experiencing food insecurity, Meghan reconnected with four original volunteers from the Hubb Community Kitchen, the initiative she supported following London's devastating Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.
The women helped create Together: Our Community Cookbook, the 2018 charitable project featuring their recipes and a foreword from Meghan. The proceeds helped sustain the kitchen, and later funding supported Himmah's foodbank operations.
Meghan facilitated a donation to Himmah in 2021, and Harry subsequently contributed funding that helped provide more than 650 food parcels.
The women reunited to prepare lunch alongside Himmah's chefs before Harry and Meghan toured the organization's foodbank, met volunteers and helped pack parcels for local households.
The day ended at Epic Partners, another Nottingham charity the couple first encountered during their 2017 visit.
The organization supports young people facing violence and other challenges through sports, mentoring and educational programs. Meghan has stayed in touch with young women in its nurture group, while Harry has supported efforts to expand mentoring and support for children affected by adverse childhood experiences.
They also took time for a birthday celebration.
Harry and Meghan joined a young community member, Harley, to decorate a cake for Epic's co-chief operations officer, Michaela Castillo-Williams, who was celebrating her 30th birthday. Castillo-Williams previously participated in the organization's leadership program before progressing from volunteer to employee and eventually into management.
The Nottingham visit follows a significant transition for the Sussex family.
Harry and Meghan returned to Britain in August with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, after spending six years primarily based in California. Although they've retained their Montecito home, the family has begun establishing a new routine in the U.K.
Meghan has since reunited with longtime friends, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, while Harry recently opened up in a new MasterClass about losing Princess Diana and his decades-long journey through grief.
