The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been cheered as they appeared together in public for the first time since their surprise return ‌to Britain.

Prince Harry and ‌Meghan Markle returned on Thursday (British time) to Nottingham, the city where they made their maiden joint official engagement nine years ago.

The couple shocked Harry’s father the King and other members of the royal family when they moved back to Britain from California two months ago with their children Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five.

In their first joint public outing since then, the couple returned to Nottingham in central England. They last visited the city in 2017, shortly after they became engaged.

Thursday’s visit began at a recording studio run ‌by a youth ‌and community charity that ⁠has received support from a £1.1 million ($A2.1 million) donation announced by Harry in 2025.

Harry and Meghan posed for selfies with well-wishers in Nottingham. Photo: AP

Later ​they were to visit a charity that tackles food poverty run by a group called Himmah. Meghan donated £10,000 to the group from sales of a cookbook released to raise money following London’s Grenfell Tower fire disaster.

The engagements concluded with a visit to another charity the couple have backed. It supports young people and was linked to their previous visit in 2017.

Harry ⁠and Meghan have become deeply polarising ‌figures since ​they stepped down from royal duties to move to California in 2020, going on to deliver scathing criticism of the prince’s ​family and the ‌royal institution.

Opinion polls show a majority of Britons hold a negative opinion of them, although young people are far more ​sympathetic.

In Nottingham nine years ago, they were met by large flag-waving cheering crowds.

Harry and Meghan expressed happiness at being back in the UK, but their return has had problems. Photo: AAP

Thursday’s visit was a much lower-key affair. The couple chatted with about 100 excited schoolchildren and cheering well-wishers – smiling, shaking hands, giving hugs and taking selfies – and were joined by large numbers of media.

“Oh, it’s great to be back,” the duchess was heard telling one woman.

Her sentiment came after Harry declared it was “good to be back on British soil” during his first solo public appearance since their relocation. But their return has not been without difficulties.

The location of their new home has been kept private amid security concerns and they are not ​living in a royal residence.

They had to move their children to a new school just two days after they started because ​of concerns about security. The ⁠couple’s spokesperson also condemned the actions of “certain European paparazzi” intruding into their privacy.

-AAP