and Meghan’s Royal Comeback: Cheering Crowds, Hugs and a Warning Not to Expect More

0:03 Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I am your host, Mark Francis. Harry and Meghan returned to Nottingham for their first joint public engagement since moving back to Britain, receiving flowers, hugs and a welcome from people who remembered their first visit as a newly engaged couple nearly nine years ago. It's great to be back, Meghan told one well-wisher. Harry echoed the sentiment. It's great to be back, wonderful and great to be back in Nottingham too. The couple arrived at the community recording studio at about 10.35 in the morning where they spent around 15 minutes greeting the crowd before heading inside. They shook hands, crouched down to speak to school children and posed for selfies, while Megan received bouquets and a helium balloon. One woman showed Megan a photograph from their December 2017 visit, which took place just four days after they announced their engagement. That's so special, Megan replied. Another person called out, I love you, Duchess Meghan.

1:03 Reports put the gathering at about 100 schoolchildren and well wishes alongside a substantial media presence. It was a smaller occasion than the flag-waving crowds of 2017, but there were supporters who had made a point of returning. Robin Warriner, who had also been there nine years ago, said, I love seeing them. I'm pleased they're back. There's far too much of the negative stuff. Every time you put the television on the news, there are snide remarks from the media, and I don't like it. Inside the community recording studio, the focus was on relationships that have continued beyond Harry and Meghan's years as working royals. The charity began in 1991 by giving young people access to music and recording facilities. Its work now includes mentoring, sport and other creative activities, helping young people develop skills and confidence. Harry met musician, poet and youth mentor Jar Digger, who attended the studio as a child and has spoken about how it helped him move away from gang involvement. Megan joined a confidence-building and bracelet-making workshop with young girls, and the couple watched an acting session led by professional actor Andre Squire. Trevor Rose, the studio's chief executive and co-founder, told people that Harry was already a familiar visitor. Harry's been a few times.

2:13 We're used to him coming and always having a big impact when he comes, Rose said. But for him to want to bring Meg as well and to hear that she wanted to find out more about what we are and what we do is incredible. They don't just say they'll visit every year. They ring up every couple of months. They ask what we're doing and monitor progress and give us suggestions. According to Rose News that Megan will be coming and made a particular impression on the young women involved, there's a lot of young females in here and they need people who understand them. To say to them that she's coming here to meet you, they were speechless. I've seen a few tears in people's eyes. Epic Partners was also on the itinerary. Harry's connection with its work dates back to a 2013 visit which led to Full Effect, a partnership between Epic and the recording studio, supported by the Royal Foundation from 2013 to 2020. Megan met younger people involved in Full Effect during the couple's 2017 Nottingham visit and later returned separately to spend time with a girls' nurture group. One of the young people she mentored, Leonora, was subsequently invited to their wedding celebrations. At Himma Hub, which tackles food poverty, there was another reunion connected to Megan's earlier charitable work, Four women involved in the cookbook produced after the Grenfell Tower fire met her again during the visit. Meghan had previously donated approximately $ 13, 000 from the book's proceeds to support Hema. We feel very protective of her.

3:36 We absolutely love her, one of the women, Leila Hedgen, told Reuters. The day also produced photographs inviting comparisons with 2017. Business Insider noted the familiar sight of the couple walking hand in hand, with Meghan resting her other hand on Harry's arm. alongside a more relaxed approach to posing for pictures with the public. There was a fashion connection as well. Meghan wore a Joseph skirt for her first Nottingham appearance, according to People. Thursday's outfit included a coat, turtleneck and earrings from Joseph, a skirt from the Fold London and shoes by Jennifer Chamundi, bringing together British labels in a coordinated burgundy look. Harry wore a white shirt and charcoal blazer with jeans, a more casual version of the jacket and coat combination he wore for their first visit. a source close to the couple told People. After they arrived in England, their focus was on establishing a routine and getting the kids settled into school. Now they're both excited to focus more on their work and their projects that matter to them. During the week, while the kids are in school, they're working, they're enjoying family weekends together. The next question is how frequently Harry and Meghan will undertake days like this as they establish their working lives in Britain.

4:46 Harry and Meghan's return to Nottingham may have looked like the beginning of a more regular program of joint charity visits, but a source quoted by The Telegraph says appearances like Thursday's are likely to remain occasional. The source said her public appearances will be relatively rare. These joint charitable engagements will not be a regular part of their work. Don't expect to see them doing this kind of thing together very often. A handful of times a year, perhaps. More Palace in just a moment. Body language commentator Darren Stanton focused on Megan bending forward while speaking to people and told InStyle, Megan is very good at working the crowd. She's confident, engaging, and seems to know exactly how to build rapport with people. One thing I particularly noticed was the way she bends forward to meet people's eyeline. By lowering herself slightly, she makes the interaction feel more personal and approachable. It creates a greater sense of connection because she's meeting people on their level rather than looking down at them. Stanton compared that approach with Kate's, saying, And I think Megan has adopted a similar style of interacting with the public. It's something I haven't really noticed her doing in the past, so it feels like a relatively new approach. Bending down to meet someone's eyeline is a really effective way of establishing rapport, making people feel comfortable in her presence. It's a subtle but important piece of body language, and she's doing it very naturally. Stanton also said Megan's smiles appear genuine, and her whole face is engaged.

6:11 He noted that her feet remain close together, which adds to the impression that she's comfortable and focused on the people she's speaking to. Overall, Megan comes across as confident and capable, while Harry's body language suggests he's looking out for her and making sure she's settled. Once he's reassured that she's doing well, he's happy to give her the space to shine, although those occasional glances back show that he's still keeping a protective eye on her. He described Harry as besotted, adding, It's clear that Harry absolutely dotes on her. You can see that he wants to make sure she's OK and feels at ease. Former royal butler Grant Harold told InStyle, Meghan's decision to wear all British designers today is very well thought out and a clever move.

6:52 She's very thoughtful when it comes to her clothing, and this is a perfect example of how she sends clear messages without saying a word. It's her way of saying she's back and she's committed to the UK. No royal fashion decisions are ever an accident. I think this is a nice nod back to the beginning of her royal journey, which I believe she selected to symbolize a fresh start. Meghan has also taken inspiration from the late queen with her use of block coloring. It's a technique she used to make sure she stood out in the crowd. And Meghan has put a brilliantly modern spin on this. She's managed to put her own personal style on the key tactic from the royal fashion playbook. Jewelry designer Nilesh Raholia, founder of Abolini, was more interested in the pieces she had decided against wearing. The first thing I noticed was how little jewellery she's wearing. For such a significant return to public life in Britain, you'd expect a statement necklace or a pair of diamond earrings. She's gone the opposite way and it looks very deliberate. He called it a confident way to wear jewellery and said it sends a powerful message. She comes across as polished and approachable. For me, the most interesting thing about Meghan's jewellery today is what she's chosen to leave off. Sometimes the strongest jewellery statement is knowing when not to make one. What you choose not to wear can say as much as what you do.

8:09 While Harry and Meghan were out and about, King Charles and Queen Camilla were working in Cardiff for the ceremonial opening of the Seventh Senate. The King and Queen attended the opening of the Welsh Parliament's new term following the May election. Charles addressed the chamber... at a ceremony marking the start of the expanded Senate. Charles and Camilla did not publicly comment on the Sussexes' outing. Royal Insider Deep Crown observed, Some people will call it counter-programming. It's just what a constitutional diary looks like. And there you have it. If you'd like to email us, our address is the palaceintriguageemail.com. If you're on Spotify, leave us a comment. If you're on Apple, hit that button up there that says Listen Uninterrupted. For just five bucks a month, you get the commercial-free version of this show. And if there's a podcaster or a social creator in your life, tell them to check out our new software program called Linnet. It's available for free through November. It's made by the people here at Calaroga Media. And when I say the people here, that's me and John. And you can find that at linnetmedia.com.

9:08 L-I-N-N-E-T media.com. I'm Mark Francis. My thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue. And good times.