Meghan Reunites With Grenfell Cookbook Contributors as She and Harry Make First Joint UK Appearance

Prince Harry and Meghan reunited with four women behind the Duchess of Sussex's charity cookbook during their first joint public appearance in the UK since returning to live in Britain. The couple visited Nottingham on Thursday, 15 October, where Meghan met contributors to Together: Our Community Cookbook, published in 2018 after the Grenfell Tower fire.

The reunion took place at Himmah Hub, a community centre tackling food poverty and inequality. The women had helped create the cookbook through the Hubb Community Kitchen, formed by women who came together to cook for their community after the disaster, which killed 72 people.

The visit also highlighted Meghan's longstanding connection with Himmah, which received £10,000 ($13,200) from cookbook proceeds in 2021. The couple visited two other youth organisations in Nottingham, where they made their first joint official engagement after announcing their engagement in 2017.

Meghan Reunites With Cookbook Contributors

The women were Leila Hedjem, Faiza Hayani Bellili, Intlak Alsaiegh and Dayo Gilmour. ITV News reported that Meghan hugged each woman before they embraced as a group, with Harry later joining them in the kitchen.

As food was prepared, Meghan said: 'I want to meet all of you, it smells amazing, but I have to go see my ladies first.' Hedjem told Reuters: 'We feel very protective of her. We absolutely love her.'

The couple helped Himmah's cooks prepare lunch for around 50 people connected with the charity, the Hubb Community Kitchen and a youth violence support initiative.

Published in 2018, Together: Our Community Cookbook brought together recipes from women who formed the Hubb Community Kitchen after the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017. Meghan supported the project as a working royal and facilitated a £10,000 donation from additional proceeds to Himmah in 2021, helping fund kitchen equipment and its foodbank.

Sussexes Visit Youth and Community Charities

Himmah Hub was the second stop on the itinerary. The couple first visited the Community Recording Studio in Nottingham's St Ann's area, which offers young people music facilities, creative activities and mentoring.

In September 2025, Harry announced a personal £1.1 million ($1.4 million) donation to BBC Children in Need to support grassroots organisations working with young people affected by violence. The funding supports work involving the Community Recording Studio and Epic Partners, which the couple also visited on Thursday.

Epic Partners works with children, young people and families through sport, mentoring and education.

Harry told the BBC: 'It's great to be back, wonderful, and great to be back in Nottingham too.'

Nottingham Marks Return to Joint UK Appearances

Reuters reported that around 100 schoolchildren and well-wishers gathered during the visit. The couple greeted members of the public as they moved between engagements.

The appearance was their first joint public outing in Britain since their return to the UK, around six years after stepping back from royal duties and moving to California in 2020.

The visits were charity engagements, not official royal duties. Harry and Meghan remain private citizens, despite the public-facing nature of their work.

The reunion brought attention back to Together: Our Community Cookbook and the community kitchen that inspired it. The project supported women who had come together after the Grenfell fire and helped raise funds for further community work, including Himmah's food support services.