Prince Harry and his wife Meghan prepare for their first public appearances since returning to Britain three weeks ago, while questions around their security arrangements and relationship with the monarchy continue to create tension.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved back from California on 26 August and have not spoken publicly or issued any official statement confirming the surprise relocation.

Meghan has recently shared glimpses of their new UK life through her personal Instagram account, posting videos around Harry’s 42nd birthday on Tuesday. The family now lives in the Cotswolds region in central England, according to reports.

Her posts showed a montage of family videos featuring their son Archie (7) and daughter Lilibet (5), along with their two dogs, enjoying the English countryside.

The only other public sighting of King Charles III’s youngest son came on 7 September, when photos of a visit to a London recording studio appeared on Instagram.

Public events scheduled this week

Harry will make his presence in Britain more visible later this week when he attends several events linked to his Invictus Games charity for wounded veterans.

He will appear at a 21 September awards ceremony for the WellChild charity, which he has supported as a patron for nearly two decades.

Security concerns prompt school change

The couple’s shock return has dominated coverage across Britain’s newspapers and television news bulletins. Media outlets have complied with a request not to reveal their exact location or which schools their children attend.

However, several outlets reported on Monday that both children changed schools just days into the term over security fears.

The Sussexes’s private security team raised concerns about the length of their original daily journeys and heavy traffic on the route, the BBC reported, citing a source close to the couple.

UK media also reported this week that the independent body responsible for deciding which politicians, royals and others receive police protection will review whether to reinstate their taxpayer-funded security.

Harry previously ruled out returning to Britain due to security concerns after losing a years-long legal battle to retain publicly subsidised protection while living in the United States.

Authorities withdrew the protection following their 2020 decision to quit Britain and royal duties amid a bitter feud with other senior royal family members.

Harry has since reconciled with his father but reportedly remains estranged from his elder brother and heir to the throne Prince William.

Palace clarifies working status

The sudden relocation “to some extent caught the royal household off guard”, royal expert Ed Owens told AFP.

Buckingham Palace moved to clarify their status earlier this month. The couple will not be considered “working members of the royal family”, according to a letter issued by the Lord Chamberlain, the palace’s most senior official.

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond described the letter as a “blunt statement of fact”. Charles instructed officials to send it to senior stakeholders in the government, military and other institutions, as well as to Harry and Meghan.

“The door clearly remains firmly closed to any ambition the Sussexes might have harboured to resume their lives as working royals,” she wrote in the iPaper.

“The King is not going to be bounced into accepting any change in their status just because they have chosen to return.”

Owens noted the palace likely feels “anxious” that the couple could distract attention from other royals’ work.

Harry and Meghan were “surprised” to see the guidance made public just an hour after they received it, reports suggest.

ALSO READ: Prince Harry’s shock return to UK raises more questions than answers

Public unenthusiastic about royal return

Britons appear unenthusiastic about any prospective return to royal duties. Only 16% favour such a move compared with around half who oppose it, according to a recent YouGov poll.

“Irrespective of whether they are working formally on behalf of the British royal family, their activities will impact the image of the monarchy,” Owens said.

The current uneasy relationship between the couple and the monarchy created fallout in recent weeks over Uganda’s participation in Harry’s Invictus Games.

The African country’s military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, announced its withdrawal from the games to avoid appearing “opposed to His Majesty King Charles III”.

The move reversed following a reported call from Charles’s principal private secretary to reassure officials that the king had “no problem” with Uganda taking part.