Meghan’s royal-style events will ‘relatively rare’, her team says

The Duchess of Sussex isn’t looking to make royal-style engagements the norm now that she’s back in the UK, with her public appearances to be “relatively rare”, her team has insisted.

Later today, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will make a joint public outing − their first since they moved back to Britain in late August.

Prince Harry and Meghan have a number of engagements in Nottingham, the city north of London where they made their very first royal appearance together nine years ago, four days after announcing their plans to marry.

But sources have told The Telegraph UK that this won’t become the blueprint for their new lives in Britain.

Harry will focus on his charity commitments, while his wife is forging ahead with the expansion of her lifestyle business and is eyeing a return to acting.

“They have different professional priorities,” a source told The Telegraph UK.

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“Prince Harry’s is his philanthropic work and public service. Her focus is on her family and children, followed by her business, followed by rebooting her acting career.

“Her public appearances will be relatively rare. She is reading a lot of scripts at the moment. If she has time left after all of that, she will do some charity work.

“But she’s not a working royal, her day isn’t organised around a programme pulled together by a private secretary. She’s a full-time mum and entrepreneur, and that alone takes up a lot of time and work.”

Meghan is expected to launch her lifestyle brand As ever in the UK by the end of the year, which will mark the first time her jams, flower sprinkles, honeys and teas will be available to customers outside the US.

There were rumours the brand was planning to expand to Australia to tie in with Prince Harry and Meghan’s quasi-royal visit here in April, but that has not eventuated. However, many of the products were trademarked in Australia.

The duchess is also rumoured to be looking for the perfect role to herald her return to acting. Meghan starred on seven seasons of the US legal drama Suits but quit the profession ahead of the royal wedding.

However, the duchess was told by Queen Elizabeth II that she could continue to act while married to Harry but Meghan chose to pursue full-time royal duties instead.

Prince Harry and Meghan’s return to the spotlight in Nottingham today will be closely watched by royal fans and critics, many of whom have questioned their motives now that they are no longer working royals.

Days after their return to Britain, King Charles issued a letter which reiterated the couple were “private citizens with commercial and charitable interests”. Their status as non-working royals had not changed since 2020, the monarch said.

But sources close to the Sussexes say joint visits in support of charities, like the planned events in Nottingham, “will not be a regular part of their work”.

“Don’t expect to see them doing this kind of thing together very often,” the source said.

“A handful of times a year perhaps.”

Prince Harry and Meghan will meet members of the public if crowds gather, but no barricades will be put up nor will any roads be closed.

“There will be less handshaking − they don’t have that same responsibility to do that kind of thing anymore.”