Police were forced to intervene during Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's outing in Nottingham on Thursday during a tense moment.
As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex departed their final stop of the day, Epic Partners on Edale Road, crowds blocked their Range Rover's exit.
As HELLO!'s royal correspondent, I witnessed firsthand as officers from Nottinghamshire Constabulary told crowds to "tuck in" and "keep shuffling back" so the car could get through, telling them: "You'll get a view, don't worry."
Eventually, officers managed to move the crowds apart so that the car could safely pass through.
Police vehicles were also parked on the surrounding streets, while an unmarked car blocked access to Edale Road.
© Eleanor Dye / HelloEarlier in the day, at the couple's first stop, the Community Recording Studio (CRS), I also spotted an unmarked police car around the corner, though they declined to comment when I approached them.
Harry and Meghan were accompanied by their private security team throughout the day.
City Council Community Protection Officers were also brought in to safeguard crowds, erecting barricades outside the recording studio for crowd control.
© Getty ImagesHELLO! has contacted Nottinghamshire Police for further comment.
Prince Harry and Meghan's security status explained
While Harry still does not have automatic police protection, individual police forces can decide to provide cover if they consider it necessary for a visit he is making to an area for which they have responsibility.
Until he stepped down as a senior working member of the royal family, Harry had International Protected Persons Status, which meant he got reciprocal protection in other countries.
© Getty ImagesBut it was downgraded when he and Meghan departed the UK in 2020, a decision he has been appealing against since September that year.
After losing his legal battle against the Home Office in May 2025, he said he could not see a world in which he would bring his wife and children back to the UK.
In June this year, they returned to the UK for 10 days, although Meghan pulled out of a string of appearances in London, citing security concerns in the capital.
But since they moved back to the UK in late August, Ravec has ordered Risk Management Board assessments of the threat against both Harry and Meghan, and they continue to await the outcome.
© GettyThe Duke is asking to be reinstated as a permanent member of the Ravec cohort - a group of senior public figures, including senior royals, who are automatically given police protection.
The fact that the couple was happy to take part in public visits in Nottingham suggests they felt comfortable with the security measures in place.
While Harry still does not have automatic police protection, individual police forces can decide to provide cover if they consider it necessary for a visit he is making to an area for which they have responsibility.
Prince Harry and Meghan's big return
The Sussexes visited three locations in Nottingham on Thursday – the city where they completed their first outing together in 2017.
It marked the first time since Harry and Meghan stepped out together in the UK after they stepped down as working royals in 2020 and moved to the US.
© InstagramThe couple returned to Britain with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in August.
When asked by HELLO! on Thursday how he felt to be back in the UK, Harry responded, "Great", and gave a huge thumbs up.
When Meghan was asked if she felt "happy to be back", she responded, "Yes, of course".
