Prince Harry is back. The Duke of Sussex made his first public appearance since he and his wife, Meghan Markle, announced that they would be stepping back as senior royal and after the royal summit that Queen Elizabeth II called earlier this week.
Harry resumed his royal duty while Meghan and their son, Archie, are in Canada. The 35-year-old prince hosted the Rugby League World Cup 2021 at Buckingham Palace. Harry succeeded the Queen as Patron of the Rugby Football League in December 2016. The monarch held the role for 64 years.
Harry met with the representatives from all 21 countries that will be participating in the tournament. He also watched some schoolchildren from a local school play rugby at the Buckingham Palace gardens.
Many noticed that Harry looked relaxed and in a good mood when he made jokes and laughed with the schoolchildren in Buckingham Palace's garden despite being asked about his next move. According to BBC sports journalist Shamoon Hafez, Harry gave a loud laugh when he was asked how the talks about his future were going.
Earlier this week, Harry met with his grandmother, the Queen, his father, Prince Charles, and his brother, Prince William, in Sandringham to discuss his and Meghan's future in the royal family. The Duchess of Sussex, on the other hand, returned to Canada to be with Archie.
After the meeting, the Queen released a statement saying the royal family agreed and supported Harry and Meghan's decision to step back as senior royals, seek financial independence, and split their time between the UK and Canada. She, however, added that the final decision about the couple's future would be reached in the coming days.
The Duke of Sussex is attending royal duties in the U.K., so as Meghan in Canada. She held private visits to the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre and Justice For Girls charities in Vancouver this week. Both organizations posted some snaps with the Duchess of Sussex after their meetings.
Meanwhile, Harry also gave a speech and helped out with the draw to determine the group stages of the upcoming Rugby League World Cup 2021. In his speech, the Duke talked about how sports save lives.
"Not only do I continue to see sport actually changing lives, but it's saving lives as well, so I think for me and... everybody in this room, whether it's rugby league, or sports in general... it needs to be in everybody's life if possible," he said.
During the draw, Harry made the audience laugh when he turned his back to look away as he stirred the balls in the bowl before he made his second pick. For the opening game, England's men's rugby team will be playing against Samoa.
