Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were scheduled to visit Nottingham on Oct. 15 for their first joint public appearance in the United Kingdom since returning there, according to Fox News Digital. The city was also the first place they visited after announcing their engagement in November 2017.
Their itinerary was reported to include charitable organizations: a food bank, the Community Recording Studio, which works with young people affected by violence, and Epic Partners, which offers mentoring and sports programs. People magazine reported that Meghan planned to reconnect with women she had supported through London’s Hubb Community Kitchen. As a working royal, she helped produce a cookbook featuring recipes from women associated with the kitchen.
The visit drew criticism from royal commentators who said the couple’s public events could look like official royal engagements, despite their departure from royal duties. Kinsey Schofield, host of the YouTube program “Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered,” told Fox News Digital that she had heard of frustration within Buckingham Palace. She characterized the charity visits and public appearances as resembling royal activity without the authority or duties attached to representing the monarch. Those remarks are her assessment, not an official palace position.
Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020, citing intrusive British press coverage and a lack of support from the palace. In January of that year, Queen Elizabeth II rejected a proposed arrangement under which they would remain working royals while pursuing independent, income-generating activities. Buckingham Palace said in a February 2021 statement that stepping away from royal work meant the couple could not retain the associated responsibilities and duties of public service. The Sussexes responded that service could take many forms.
The distinction remains central to the current disagreement. The couple are free to support charities as private citizens, but their visits are not official royal engagements and they do not represent the monarch. Commentators cited by Fox News argued that their titles, public recognition and staged appearances may make the distinction less clear to observers.
Christopher Andersen, author of “Kate!,” told Fox News Digital that the causes were worthy and that the couple had supported them previously, while also warning that appearances resembling official engagements could be interpreted as defying the late queen’s wishes. British broadcaster Helena Chard described the events as a “pseudo royal reboot,” while royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner said the couple could pursue projects without permission from the king or Prince of Wales because they are private citizens. Turner also said some royal circles suspect the couple may be trying to create an alternative royal presence.
The commentators portrayed the situation as a dilemma for King Charles: whether to respond more forcefully to appearances that critics say blur the boundary between private activity and royal service. Schofield argued that the monarch might need to reinforce the distinction, while Andersen said the king could eventually have to act if it continued to be blurred. These are commentators’ opinions; the supplied report did not establish that the king planned any response.
Fox News Digital said it contacted Buckingham Palace and Archewell for comment. A source quoted by People said Harry and Meghan were excited to focus on their work and projects that matter to them. People also reported that the couple reunited with King Charles and Queen Camilla in July, but were not believed to have seen the king in person since moving back to Britain; Harry and his father had reportedly remained in contact by phone. The outlet reported that Harry and his older brother, Prince William, had not spoken in years, and a palace insider said the rift had been magnified by Harry’s return to the U.K.
