Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left many fans crushed in Nottingham after leaving an event without coming over to speak to waiting supporters. Crowds had gathered in anticipation of seeing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their visit to the city on Thursday (October 15), with some bringing gifts and floral bouquets to hand over to the couple. However, disappointment set in among local supporters, including resident Johannes Sharland, 67, when the pair left the venue without stopping for a final walkabout or to greet those waiting outside.

Speaking exclusively to the Express, Ms Sharland described the crowd’s frustration after spending hours waiting in the hope of catching a moment with the Sussexes. She said: “Myself, plus the rest of the crowd, were very disappointed that after their lunch they did not come out to speak to some of us, a wave, they missed the bouquets of flowers.”

“I was waiting for quite a long time from 12pm, but I was happy to see them when they did arrive,” she added. “I expected them to come back out again, but they [just left]. I’d never seen them before.”

The visit marked the Duchess of Sussex’s first public appearance since moving back to the UK from California, telling well-wishers upon arrival: “It’s great to be back”. The trip held particular significance for the couple, with a spokesperson noting that Nottingham is a “special place” for them, as it was where they held their first joint engagement after announcing their engagement in 2017.

Although attending as private citizens rather than working royals, the couple’s packed schedule had a distinctly royal feel. Harry and Meghan kicked off their morning at the Community Recording Studio – a youth charity Harry has supported since 2013 – where Meghan joined in a friendship bracelet workshop and shared that their daughter, Princess Lilibet, five, has taken up gymnastics.

The pair then headed to Himmah Hub, a local charity tackling food poverty, where they donned chef’s aprons to help prepare food parcels and reunited with the Grenfell community cooks. They rounded off their day with a visit to youth mentoring charity Epic Partners.

Despite the snub Ms Sharland felt outside, earlier in the day the couple had beamed, hugged supporters and posed for selfies with members of the public before departing under the watchful eye of their private security team.