Prince Harry and Meghan Markle step out hand-in-hand for Cotswolds pub lunch in first joint UK photos since return

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made their first photographed appearance together in the UK since returning to Britain, choosing a quiet Cotswolds pub for a casual lunch.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were photographed holding hands as they walked toward The Falkland Arms in Great Tew, Oxfordshire, on Thursday, Oct. 1. Their low-key outing offered a glimpse of the couple settling into life back in Britain after returning from the US in August.

Both dressed casually for the occasion. Harry, 42, wore a Santa Barbara Fire Department baseball cap, a subtle reference to the California community of Montecito, where the family had been living. Meghan, 45, opted for a relaxed black outfit with white sneakers and sunglasses.

A traditional pub lunch in the Cotswolds

Inside the 16th-century pub, the couple settled in for a distinctly British meal.

Meghan ordered gluten-free beer-battered haddock and chips, served with mushy peas and tartare sauce. Harry chose a chicken, ham and leek pie accompanied by seasonal greens, creamy mashed potatoes and gravy.

The visit was notable for how ordinary the experience appeared to be. A pub insider told the Sun that Harry and Meghan were treated in the same way as other customers.

“Everyone here gets the royal treatment — it doesn’t matter who you are,” the insider said. “We’re lucky to get lots of different people visiting us, and everyone is treated like a local. When they visited, Harry and Meghan just acted like locals.”

The couple’s choice of venue also fits with their efforts to settle into their new surroundings. The family returned to the UK in August and has made the Cotswolds its base, after spending several years living in California.

Their return to Britain has brought security concerns

The relaxed lunch comes as Harry and Meghan continue to deal with security concerns surrounding their children’s return to school.

Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, initially attended a $35,000-a-year prep school but left after just two days. Concerns about the security of their journey to and from school played a role in the decision to move them elsewhere. The school itself was not blamed for the change.

The family faced another security issue after Meghan’s personal phone number was reportedly leaked following her participation in a WhatsApp group for parents at the school.

More recently, photographers were reportedly seen near the children’s new school. The Sussexes’ spokesperson criticized the activity, arguing that there is a clear distinction between legitimate media coverage and photographers monitoring the perimeter of a school.

“There is a world of difference between legitimate media activity and photographers walking the perimeter of a school, stopping to look into the grounds and monitoring children as they go about their day,” the spokesperson told Page Six.

The spokesperson also said it was “concerning” that members of the European paparazzi “appear unwilling to respect the privacy of children at school.”

Harry says Archie and Lilibet are settling in

Despite the early disruption, Harry recently offered a positive update on how his children are adjusting to their new life in Britain.

In a September interview with Canadian broadcaster CTV, he said the children were “happy in school” and described being back in the UK as “great.”

“It’s been great to be back on British soil,” Harry said. He added that having the children settled at school gives him an opportunity to focus on his work with the Invictus Games.

The couple’s pub outing came against that backdrop: a rare public appearance together while they continue to establish a routine for their family in the Cotswolds.

For Harry and Meghan, the lunch was a relatively simple stop at a local pub. But their first joint photographs since returning to Britain have offered a fresh glimpse of the couple as they begin another chapter of family life in the UK.