Prince Harry appeared to revisit his old UK routine as he stepped away from his celebrity life in Montecito to watch rugby, pint in hand, at Leicester Tigers’ Welford Road stadium.
The 42-year-old’s appearance did not receive a universally warm welcome, however. Some sections of the crowd booed when the Duke of Sussex was shown on the stadium’s big screen.
“A face in the crowd, Prince Harry, back home and enjoying some rugby again,” TNT commentator Nick Mullins said. “Some boos there.”
The broadcast then moved away from Harry just seconds later.
The match marked Harry’s first solo public appearance since he, Meghan and their children, Archie and Lilibet, returned to the UK in August.
From the stands, the Duke cheered on Leicester Tigers as they faced rivals Gloucester Rugby in a closely fought match at Welford Road on Friday night.
Harry followed the action intently, punching the air and high-fiving a friend as Leicester pulled ahead to secure a 38-31 victory.
His outing came as Meghan was seen dining with Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai at Claridge’s in London. It was Meghan’s first public appearance since the family, including seven-year-old Archie and five-year-old Lilibet, returned to the spotlight after years of relative seclusion in California.
Footage recorded by a diner at the luxury restaurant showed Meghan and Malala seated together at a table in a corner of the venue.
Prince Harry chatted with a friend while holding a pint as he watched Leicester Tigers face Gloucester Rugby at Welford Road Stadium
The Duke of Sussex celebrated enthusiastically during one of the match’s most thrilling moments
Prince Harry watched the Slater Cup match with intense concentration
Harry stepped into the public eye alongside friends and Andrea Pinchen, Leicester Tigers’ chief executive, as he watched the game.
The two clubs were competing for the Slater Cup, created in honour of Ed Slater, the former captain of both sides who was forced to retire in July 2022 after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
The appearance followed reports that Harry received $100,000, plus a share of subscription revenue, for his 99-minute online “masterclass” on grief.
In the seminar, the Duke gave an emotional account of coping with the death of his mother, Princess Diana. He also discussed his experiences with depression and feelings of uselessness after Megxit.
A source close to Harry told Our News Outlet: “I’d encourage everyone to watch it before casting any judgment,” adding that he should not face lengthy criticism for “speaking from the heart”.
A spokesman for Harry confirmed that he was paid by MasterClass to take part in Redefining Grief: Building Resilience Through Loss, but declined to comment further. MasterClass features celebrity experts and industry figures teaching pre-recorded courses about their work, skills and experiences.
According to Forbes, MasterClass instructors can receive an upfront payment of at least $100,000 (£75,500), as well as 30 per cent of subscription revenue generated by their courses.
Harry is credited as a co-instructor alongside American neuroscientist Dr Mary-Frances O’Connor. Together, they aim to help viewers “discover new ways to process grief and loss so you can find your way back to you”.
Access to the full online lecture costs between £10 and £19 a month through a subscription to the San Francisco-based tech company, which is valued at $2.75billion.
A source close to Harry reportedly said no one has the right to judge him for how he has dealt with the grief of losing his mother at the age of 12 and added that the interview with Dr O’Connor was simply Harry speaking ‘from the heart’ about his life and family, according to royal reporter Tom Sykes.
At times during the close match at Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium, the Prince looked tense
It is his first public solo outing since he and his family moved back to the UK
MasterClass stars in the past have included Martin Scorsese, Gordon Ramsay, Serena Williams and Hillary Clinton.
In his interview Harry revealed he felt depressed and ‘useless’ immediately after Megxit, and now refuses to spend more than ten days away from Meghan and their children.
In a new video released yesterday, the Duke of Sussex claims life in the Royal Family left him unable to properly grieve the death of Diana, adding his official duties triggered panic attacks.
Harry, 42, said getting dressed for royal engagements in a shirt and tie frequently left him feeling as though he was being strangled or suffocated.
‘You would think I had the best help in the world. I’m a prince, for God’s sake, but I was still grieving and didn’t have any place to put those feelings,’ he said, describing emotions he carried for ’15 or 20 years’.
He revealed therapy eventually helped him and described the extraordinary moment when spraying himself with Diana’s perfume prompted his hidden memories and emotions to come flooding back.
Speaking about grief in a video for the American education platform MasterClass, Harry said despite finding happiness with Meghan, he ‘slipped into depression’ after they quit royal life and left Britain.
‘We moved to Canada to get some space away from everything and simply think,’ he said. ‘Within two or three days of leaving that stressful environment, I experienced an adrenaline crash unlike anything I’d ever felt before.
‘It was as though I needed stress for my brain to function. I became useless around the house. I slipped into depression for about two weeks and felt like I couldn’t function without adrenaline.’
His frank comments about mental health and PTSD came as Meghan stepped back into the spotlight for the first time in years, wearing a £28,000 outfit to take afternoon tea with Malala Yousafzai in London.
Meanwhile, Harry has been seen in London, including earlier this month when he made a surprise appearance at a black-tie gala for Ukraine.
The gala was held to raise money for organisations supporting Ukraine as the war entered its fourth year in February.
He spoke at the event about the historical ties between Britain and Ukraine before sharing his own experience during recent trips to the war-torn nation.
The Duke has also attended the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards at the Old Royal Naval College in the capital.
And in September, Harry was pictured smiling at the Tower Bridge Studios in London and signing a mural on a wall during a pseudo-royal engagement.
He is reportedly working on a ‘mystery project’.
