Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Visit Nottingham Charities

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their first official joint public appearance in Nottingham since relocating to the UK, visiting several local charities. The couple are attending these events not as working royals, but as private citizens supporting causes they personally champion.

Their visit began at the Community Recording Studio, a charity Prince Harry has supported since 2013. The organization's CEO, Trevor Rose, expressed surprise at the visit, stating they were notified only a few weeks prior. "It's exciting times. Completely random, phoned, mentioned a idea, said they'd like to come down," Rose told the BBC. "I thought it was going to be something in the future, next thing I know it's two weeks later and we are here, so yeah it's a complete shock."

Fans gathered throughout the morning to greet the couple. Later in the day, the Sussexes were expected to visit Himmah Hub, a charity addressing food poverty, where they would observe cooking classes and assist in preparing food parcels. Their third engagement was scheduled with Epic Partners, an organization that supports young people through youth work, sports, and mentoring.

The couple traveled with a private security team, and local police were reportedly aware of their visit. A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan told BBC News they were "really excited" to be back in Nottingham, nine years after their last joint visit to the city. "They are back here primarily because they support and believe in the organisations they are visiting. They enjoy coming back to revisit projects they are personally invested in, to meet the same people and understand what is happening and how things are changing."

In 2017, Harry and Meghan visited Nottingham's Lace Market before attending a World Aids Day charity fair. Their return to the UK in August, after six years living in the U.S. with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, has been followed by reports of them settling in the Cotswolds. It has also emerged that the Sussexes will undergo a review of their publicly funded security following their return to the UK. The committee overseeing royal and VIP security, Ravec, is reconsidering their level of police protection now that they and their children are full-time residents.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be attending the traditional royal family Christmas gathering at Sandringham this year, and are expected to spend the holiday privately with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland.