‘The reset they desperately need’: Telling reason Harry and Meghan have chosen this city for their public comeback

Analysis: It was the day that propelled the then-Meghan Markle to a level of stardom she’d never experienced in her years of acting on television.

On December 1, 2017, Prince Harry introduced his then-fiancée to the British public in Nottingham. It was their first joint official appearance on behalf of the royal family and Meghan’s first taste of royal life.

The day cemented her place as a rising player in the House of Windsor as she was proclaimed a natural by the crowds, many who had waited since 6am in the freezing cold to see the couple.

Undertaking her first “walkabout” and introducing herself with “Hi, I’m Meghan”, the actress charmed the public and the press.

Meghan even showed that she had learnt some of the rules around protocol on such events by declining a selfie, telling one couple: “We’re not allowed”.

For just under 30 minutes, she and Prince Harry shook hands and made small talk with the locals. Her clothing, too, was applauded and the Strathberry handbag she wore sold out online in 11 minutes, generating huge profits for the Scottish-made brand.

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The verdict was clear: Meghan was a hit and Harry had chosen well.

Four days earlier, the American had just been introduced to the world as Prince Harry’s fiancé as they announced their engagement on the grounds of Kensington Palace, generating global coverage and mass adoration.

But how times have changed.

Nine years on − and now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex − the couple are no longer working royals, yet they are determined to be viewed as public figures.

On Thursday, Prince Harry and Meghan will return to the city where they once were hailed a power couple.

It will be their first public joint event since moving back to the UK in late August and could be the reset the Sussexes desperate need.

Prince Harry and Meghan, once put on a pedestal as the royal couple of the future and Meghan the so-called breath of fresh air the Windsors were craving, haven’t quite lived up to the image they themselves had projected: that of changemakers.

Their lives in 2026 are vastly different from 2017 and even a year later when they married and rode a wave of popularity.

After leaving their palatial Montecito home, they are now renting a house on a friend’s estate in the Cotswolds while they consider their long-term plans, The Sunday Times reported.

Harry and Meghan keep themselves busy at the gym inside the Soho Farmhouse members’ club in Oxfordshire after doing the school drop off. The duchess is still pursuing her lifestyle brand As ever while working with some of her charities and patronages from her time as a working royal. Prince Harry’s focus is the Invictus Games in Birmingham next year.

While the duke has made a handful of public appearances since returning, Meghan maintained a low profile until late last week when she was photographed leaving the ritzy Claridge’s hotel in London with Malala Yousafzai after having afternoon tea.

It is not known how long Harry and Meghan intend to stay in the UK this time but what is clear is that the couple need to win back some of that public affection that has been missing in the years since their royal exit.

And so they have chosen to return to Nottingham which could hold the key to a successful comeback.

A friend of the Sussexes told The Sunday Times: “Nottingham is a really special place for them and they are looking forward to getting back out there into the community, together”.

Harry and Meghan’s day out is likely to be the first of many future public events in the UK and will be covered by members of the press, as their previous engagements were during their time as working royals.

The busy itinerary mirrors that of an official royal program: they will visit the Community Recording Studio, which supports young people affected by violence. Harry and Meghan will watch music and acting workshops and the duchess is expected to take part in an acting workshop before her own rumoured return to the screen in the coming months.

Later, the duke and duchess will visit the Himmah food bank, where they will be joined by members of the Hubb Community Kitchen, a group of women Meghan has supported since her early royal days.

They will also visit Epic Partners, which supports young people through sports programmes and mentoring.

Since that day in 2017, Prince Harry has returned to Nottingham but Thursday will be Meghan’s first time back.

The schedule is at odds with King Charles’ insistence that Prince Harry and Meghan are “private citizens with commercial and charitable interests”.

In response to the king’s letter which reiterated Harry and Meghan’s status as non-working royals was unchanged, the Sussexes said they were “surprised” by its contents, preferring the term “public figures”.

Their return to the UK has not been smooth and Harry and Meghan are still waiting to hear whether they will receive taxpayer-funded security.

How the public react to Prince Harry and Meghan’s return to the spotlight on Thursday could determine their next moves in Britain.

They are still lagging in popularity compared to the other royals. The latest YouGov polling, in July, saw a slight increase in the duke’s ratings over the past year with a third of Britons (33%) now seeing him favourably, up six points since May 2025. Just 22 per cent of Britons see the duchess in a positive light, with 65 per cent holding an unfavourable opinion of her.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, once again, were voted the most popular royals with 74 to 76 per cent having a positive view of the couple.

Prince Harry and Meghan are, no doubt, hoping for a PR boost in Nottingham − a full-circle moment of sorts for the couple who once used the city to launch themselves as the new star couple of the royal family.

But can it be done? The Sussexes are banking on it.