Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make rare public appearance after UK return
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make rare public appearance after UK return
Hannah Furnell Sat, October 3, 2026 at 3:52 PM UTC
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made a rare public appearance weeks after their return to the U.K.
In late August, the Duke, 42, and Duchess of Sussex, 45, relocated back to the U.K. with their two children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five. Just days later, on September 7, as the family was reportedly settling in the Cotswolds, near London, King Charles issued a letter confirming the couple would remain non-working members of the Royal Family.
Since then, Meghan has largely kept a low profile, focusing on helping the children settle into their new schools, while Harry has attended several engagements both in the UK and abroad. However, on Thursday, October 1, the couple was spotted for the first time together in the Cotswolds.
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They were photographed holding hands on their way to grab lunch at The Falkland Arms in Great Tew, Oxfordshire, while their children were at school.
Both donned sunglasses as they headed into the 16th-century pub, with Harry seen looking at a menu board outside. Meghan opted for a casual all-black outfit with white shoes, while Harry wore jeans and a navy jacket, paired with a Santa Barbara Fire Department cap.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were seen heading to The Falkland Arms (Image: Falkland Arms)
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Inside, Meghan reportedly chose a gluten-free beer-battered haddock and chips with mushy peas and tartare sauce for £18.25 ($24.17). Meanwhile, Harry had a £17.95 ($23.77) chicken, ham, and leek pie served with seasonal greens, creamy mashed potatoes, and gravy.
The couple acted like locals, a pub insider told The Sun, "Everyone here gets the royal treatment - it doesn't matter who you are. We're lucky to get lots of different people visiting us, and everyone is treated like a local. When they visited, Harry and Meghan just acted like locals."
The outing comes after Meghan had largely stayed out of the public eye following the family's move back to the U.K. in August. She was seen for the first time spending the afternoon at an Oxfordshire pub, where she chatted with Ellen DeGeneres and her wife.
Meghan was also recently spotted at The Falkland Arms with her close friend Kelly McKee Zajfen and her young son.
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Meanwhile, Harry has made several public appearances since the move, including attending the WellChild Awards and the Invictus Spirit Gala Dinner and Awards. The Duke also attended a black-tie gala supporting Ukraine before making a brief return to the U.S. for engagements in New York.
Harry attended the Invictus Games Awards and other engagements while Meghan has kept a low profile (Image: Getty)
On September 7, as the family was reportedly settling in the Cotswolds, King Charles issued a letter confirming the couple's royal status, stating they would remain non-working members of the Royal Family.
The Lord Chamberlain issued the letter on Charles' behalf as formal guidance after several requests for clarification. However, the move reportedly "surprised" Harry and Meghan.
Following more rumors about their return and some drama with Uganda's exit and then return to the Invictus Games, Harry finally commented on his family's relocation.
At the beginning of the Invictus Spirit Awards, on September 17, Harry said that it was "good to be back on British soil." Later, during the event, Harry seemed less confident and willing to open up as he spoke to Hello!, who asked him how it's been settling back into U.K. life, and what the highlight has been so far.
Harry replied, "My highlight so far? Do I have to share it with you? Look, the last few weeks have been - it's been - it's been eventful."
While breaking his silence on his and Meghan's return, Harry added to Hello!, "But, you know, we're getting stuck into the work. Kids are in school. We're happy. And as I said, it's great to be back on British soil, and looking forward to Birmingham next year for the Invictus Games that's coming up."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has experienced issues with the paparazzi and their children (Image: Getty Images)
After revealing that the past few weeks have been "eventful," Harry opened up to CTV about how his kids are settling into their new home.
"The kids are happy in school," he said, adding that it has been "great to be back on British soil." However, the couple has admitted that there have been several issues with paparazzi being "extraordinarily reckless" while trying to snap photos of their children's schools.
After school staff and security spotted men with backpacks and monitoring the kids. A spokesperson for the couple released a statement addressing this that read, "The decision by photographers to conduct themselves in this way around a school is extraordinarily reckless."
The message continued, "There is a world of difference between legitimate media activity and photographers walking the perimeter of a school, stopping to look into the grounds and monitoring children as they go about their day."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's statement continued, "It is concerning enough that certain European paparazzi appear unwilling to respect the privacy of children at school. Whatever photographs they may have been seeking, this was not only an unacceptable intrusion into the privacy of children; it was an irresponsible and ill-considered way to conduct themselves in the vicinity of a school."
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
