Harry and Meghan’s new life as ‘private citizens’: Sussexes will make first joint public appearance since moving back to UK with royal-style visit to three charities this week
Prince Harry and Meghan are due to make their first joint public appearance in the UK since returning as “private citizens”, visiting three charities in Nottingham on Thursday. The engagements echo royal visits and include causes linked to community support and children’s sport.
Their itinerary is expected to include the Community Recording Studio, where Meghan will join an acting workshop, the Himmah food bank and Epic Partners, which mentors children aged four to 18. They will also visit the Hubb Community Kitchen, founded after the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire; Meghan wrote the foreword to its 2018 cookbook. The article says the couple have yet to meet King Charles during this UK visit and are expected to spend the festive period with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland.
- Harry and Meghan are set for three charity visits in Nottingham.
- Meghan is expected to take part in an acting workshop.
- The couple have not yet met King Charles during this UK visit.
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Prince Harry is King Charles's son and was formerly a working member of the royal family. He married American actress Meghan Markle in 2018, and the couple became prominent public figures undertaking official duties and charitable work on behalf of the monarchy.
In 2020, Harry and Meghan stepped back from their roles as working royals to pursue independent lives, initially moving to North America. They cited intense media scrutiny and the pressures of royal life, seeking to build their own careers and family life outside the formal royal structure.
As "private citizens," Harry and Meghan no longer carry out official royal engagements or formally represent the Crown, although they retain their titles. They have continued to pursue their own charitable interests in areas including mental health, social justice and community support. These activities are now entirely at their own discretion rather than formal royal duty.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Harry and Meghan are exercising their right to support charitable causes publicly whilst being private citizens, a status that simply means they no longer hold official royal duties or claim public funding. Charitable engagement is inherently valuable work from which these organisations genuinely benefit, and many non-royal individuals conduct well-publicised charitable work without this being viewed as contradictory. Their involvement brings meaningful visibility to important community causes.
The case against
Harry and Meghan's claim to private citizenship appears inconsistent with their continued high-profile public engagements structured to resemble royal visits. Few genuinely private individuals command such extensive media attention or public visibility. This arrangement seems to retain the platform and influence of royal association whilst avoiding the formal responsibilities and scrutiny of official royal status, suggesting a selective departure from their former role rather than a comprehensive one.