Prince Harry Suffers Major Embarrassment: Exiled Royal Attracts Small Crowd as He Arrives for U.K. Charity Event During First Visit in Five Months
Crowds did not turn out for Prince Harry's rare public appearances in the U.K.
Sept. 9 2025, Published 5:40 p.m. ET
Prince Harry got a rude awakening about just how much royal luster he's lost during a rare public outing in England, where his presence drew a minuscule crowd of onlookers, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, who stepped down as a senior working royal in 2020 and moved to California with his wife, Meghan Markle, made his first appearance outside of London in years. Sadly for him, there seemed to be little interest from royal fans in getting to see Harry in person.
A Rude Awakening
Harry drew massive crowds when visiting Nottingham in 2017 after proposing to Meghan Markle.
Harry traveled nearly three hours north of London to visit the Community Recording Studio in Nottingham, England, on Tuesday, September 10. While there, the duke announced a $1.4million donation to BBC Children in Need to help tackle youth violence issues.
Only about 100 locals were on hand to cheer on Harry's arrival. He took the time to shake hands and pose for selfies with the folks who welcomed him.
It was a dire contrast to the massive throngs of royal fans who were on hand when the prince and then-fiancée Markle, 44, visited Nottingham in December 2017, less than a month after the duo announced their engagement.
Steel barriers had to be erected to keep the enormous crowds at bay, while Harry and Markle made their way down the streets, shaking hands and accepting flowers from well-wishers.
No Brotherly Contact
Prince William and Kate Middleton visited one of the late queen's favorite organizations on the third anniversary of her passing.
Harry went another day in England without meeting up with his family, as his estranged brother, Prince William, attended a youth event in South London the same day.
On Monday, September 8, the brothers were in proximity but did not make contact.
Harry laid a wreath at the grave of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in Windsor Castle on the third anniversary of the monarch's passing.
The wayward prince's father, King Charles III, granted him special permission to visit the King George VI Memorial Chapel for his memorial gesture.
Meanwhile, William, 43, was nearby at the Women's Institute in Berkshire, along with his wife, Kate Middleton. The pair celebrated the queen's 80-year "enthusiastic" membership in the organization, of which she was president at the time of her death in 2022.
U.K. Visit
Harry arrives at the 2025 WellChild Awards in London.
Later in the day, Harry attended the WellChild Awards in London, which was the purpose of his rare visit to the United Kingdom. It is one of the few remaining charities the duke has left in the U.K., and returns annually for their awards ceremony.
In 2022, Markle made a rare return to England with Harry to join him at the awards ceremony. It happened to fall on the date the queen's health took a dramatic downturn, and she died later in the day at Scotland's Balmoral Castle.
The pair threw a massive tantrum over Markle not being welcome to join her husband at Balmoral, which resulted in an even deeper rift between the couple and the royal family.
Markle Not Welcomed
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Markle hasn't set foot in the U.K. since Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.
Harry and Markle were set to have their team tell the press they were on their way to Scotland when Charles put a stop to the former Suits actress from being part of such a private and challenging moment. By then, she and Harry had deeply alienated the royal family with claims of racism and other unsavory accusations while living abroad in California.
The prince ultimately shared his side of the story in his 2023 memoir, Spare.
“We told our team to confirm: we'd be missing the WellChild Awards and hurrying up to Scotland. Then came another call from Pa. He said I was welcome at Balmoral, but he didn't want … her," Harry wrote.
"He started to lay out his reason, which was nonsensical, and disrespectful, and I wasn't having it. Don’t ever speak about my wife that way."
Charles pointed out that Middleton, 43, was not accompanying William, despite being part of the royal family for 11 years at that point.
“He stammered, apologetic, saying he simply didn’t want a lot of people around. No other wives were coming. Kate wasn't coming, he said, therefore Meg shouldn't. Then that’s all you needed to say," Harry huffed.
