Prince Harry has unveiled a series of high-profile appearances in the UK and the US, as he and Meghan once again pushed back at King Charles’s description of them as “private citizens” — a label their camp views as unrealistic given their global profile.

The Duke of Sussex is set to champion charitable causes on both sides of the Atlantic, with his team presenting the schedule as his “September public engagements”.

His itinerary includes a major awards ceremony in London later this month, followed by a trip to New York, where he will take part in the annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting during United Nations General Assembly week. The event will also feature former President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Chrissy Teigen and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.

The announcement is being seen by some royal observers as a sign that Harry is seeking to raise his public profile in Britain, at a time of renewed strain between the Sussexes and the Royal Household.

Harry and Meghan are understood to remain dissatisfied with King Charles’s recent letter of “guidance”, which made clear that they would not resume duties as working royals and would not be permitted to use their HRH titles.

Sources close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have suggested the King’s assessment is unrealistic given their notoriety.

Speaking to People, the couple’s favoured US publication, an insider said: ‘Members of the public know who they are. The idea that they can live a normal, “private” life is sadly not realistic.’

The latest intervention comes amid the couple’s ongoing battle over taxpayer-funded security and claims they are concerned about the safety of Archie and Lilibet on the school run.

Meghan and Harry appear unwilling to accept the King’s position, which stated that nothing had changed since ‘Megxit’, prompting a series of briefings from sources close to the couple.

One source suggested they should be viewed as ‘public figures’ rather than private citizens.

Their spokesman said on Tuesday that the couple were ‘surprised’ by the King’s statement and claimed they were not given enough time to respond before it was circulated.

Team Sussex has suggested that, despite being given just over an hour’s notice of the impending release, Palace aides did not give Harry enough time to ‘clarify one or two points’ in the letter written by the Lord Chamberlain on the King’s instruction.

In particular, the Sussexes appear to have taken issue with the assertion that they should not be treated as royalty.

The Duke of Sussex’s first public engagements since his return to the UK have now been announced, with Harry set to lead a series of charity events later this month.

Harry will attend the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards and the launch of the Invictus education programme INSPIRE, as well as taking part in one of his favourite annual occasions, the WellChild Awards. 

He will also return to the US to support Bill and Hillary Clinton and their so-called Global Initiative on September 22 and 23.

Harry and Meghan were said to be ‘surprised’ by the formal letter sent by the Lord Chamberlain under the direction of the King to senior stakeholders in the Government and military, which classified them as ‘private citizens’.

The duke and duchess, who are waiting to hear whether they will be given taxpayer-funded security, are reported to prefer the term ‘public figures’ instead.

Full details of Harry’s appearances including the dates have yet to be published.

The events were described by his team as his ‘September public engagements’.

His appearances will include the first ever Invictus Spirit Awards which will celebrate individuals, organisations and communities who ’embody the resilience, service and unconquered spirit at the heart of the international Invictus Movement’.

At the launch of the INSPIRE programme, Harry will play pickleball with school pupils and participate in an assembly.

Designed by teachers for learners from early years through to Key Stage 5, the programme uses the Invictus Games and the stories of its competitors to create national curriculum-aligned resources in maths, English, Stem, art, performing arts, sport and PSHE (personal, social, health and economic) education.

Harry has been patron of WellChild – the national charity for seriously ill children and their families – since 2007 and regularly attends the awards ceremony.

The engagement is described as ‘continuing his long association with WellChild as the charity’s patron’, with the awards, which he has attended 15 times, being a ‘significant part of his annual programme’.

He will meet this year’s winners and their families, carers and health professionals to hear about their experiences supporting children with serious and complex health needs.

Harry and Meghan are ‘happy to be back’ in the UK, sources said last night in the first comments about the Sussexes’ return – despite a swirling row with Buckingham Palace over Uganda’s withdrawal from the Invictus Games.

Insiders close to the couple have maintained Uganda’s decision to pull out of the 2027 Games was a ‘direct result’ of a letter written by King Charles which insisted they are ‘private citizens’. 

They also added that the ‘only people suffering’ as a result of the monarch’s letter are the Ugandan competitors who were set to take part in the upcoming games. 

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‘They made it very clear that the reason they pulled out was a direct result of perceived guidance from the Lord Chamberlain,’ they told People, which is widely considered the Sussexes’ preferred publication in the US.

‘This was an unintended or intended consequence of the letter — and that was always going to happen. Hence the wish not to rush it out.’

Yet despite the swirling row between the Sussexes and Buckingham Palace, sources say getting their children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, settled as they begin a new school year ‘has been, and remains, their focus’.

‘Everything else will fall into place when the time is right,’ the source told People. ‘There is a lot to do. They have just moved halfway across the world, and it’s been really busy getting the kids settled.

‘Their focus has been on that, and will remain on that, for the time being. They are happy to be back.’

It comes after the couple, who left the UK for America in 2020 in a move famously dubbed ‘Megxit’, are understood to have moved to a non-royal home in the UK last month while also keeping their residence in Montecito, California. 

Meanwhile, on Wednesday morning, Ugandan General Muhoozi Kainerugaba said his nation would not participate in any event without approval from Charles, adding that he felt motivated to quash ‘that Harry-Meghan nonsense’.

The move came less than 48 hours after the King outlined that the Duke and Duchess are still not working royals despite the couple relocating to the UK a fortnight ago. 

Meanwhile, PR gurus have claimed Harry and Meghan’s swipes towards the King following his letter threaten the future of the Invictus Games. 

Mark Borkowski said Uganda’s decision to pull out of Birmingham 2027 out of respect for Charles III should serve as a stark warning to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Mr Borkowski said that ‘briefing furiously’ against the King and portraying themselves as victims does not resonate with the public, yet ‘they keep making the same mistake’.

He told the Daily Mail: ‘Uganda is the warning. The Sussex soap opera is now damaging Invictus, the one unimpeachable thing Harry created. The brand is beginning to consume the cause.

‘Harry and Meghan want the freedoms of private citizens but the power of royalty, and they brief furiously whenever anyone points out the contradiction.’

Uganda’s outspoken military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, announced yesterday that the country would not participate in the 2027 Invictus Games because of ‘that Harry-Meghan nonsense’, adding: ‘I support the monarch. Period.’

It came hours after the Sussexes renewed their criticism of the King’s decision to classify them as ‘private citizens’ and make clear they are no longer working royals in a letter released following their return to Britain.

Combative statements and extraordinary claims in briefings by sources close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have dominated headlines since the King released his letter on Monday.

Mr Borkowski said: ‘They drive the PR. They keep making the same mistake, with their certainty that the narrative should start to unravel. ‘Woe is us’, the poor victims of the mighty establishment machine.

‘They’ve confused briefing with strategy. They want the freedoms of private citizens with the power of royalty and brief furiously whenever anyone points out the contradiction.’ 

Just two months ago, Uganda’s defence minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka posed for photographs with a smiling Harry at an Invictus Games gathering in London. 

But General Kainerugaba, the president’s son, said in a post on X yesterday: ‘In order not to be construed as being opposed to His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom, whom we deeply revere, Uganda hereby withdraws from the Invictus Games.

‘We shall not participate in anything that does not have His Majesty’s approval.’

Asked by The Times why he made the announcement, General Kainerugaba said: ‘I have factions in the Ministry of Defence that support that Harry-Meghan nonsense. I had to quash it straight away. I support the monarch. Period.’

The Sussexes then appeared to have blamed Uganda’s decision on the King’s letter.

Yesterday it was revealed that fewer than one in six Britons want Harry and Meghan to return as working members of the Royal Family now they are back in the UK.

This week King Charles made it clear the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain ‘private citizens’. And a major poll reveals a majority of the British public agree it should stay that way. 

YouGov asked 4,506 adults whether the Sussexes should become working members of the Royal Family again ‘at some point’ now they are back in Britain.

Just more than half (51 per cent) said they would rather the couple did not return to official duties.

Less than a sixth (16 per cent) said they should become working royals again, while a third (33 per cent) said they did not know.

The poll was conducted on Wednesday, a day after the Sussexes hit back at Buckingham Palace after it released a letter of ‘guidance’ confirming the couple were not returning as working royals.

The family of a devoted fitness enthusiast who was left paralysed after doctors allegedly mistook a life-threatening brain condition for a virus has launched legal action against the NHS.

Oli Coppock, 34, has been unable to speak for more than two years and now communicates only through movements in his eye muscles, after an A&E doctor failed to identify the seriousness of his condition.

Mr Coppock, from Warrington in Cheshire, went to Warrington Hospital in May 2024 suffering from dizziness and exhaustion, bringing an overnight bag because he feared he might need to be admitted.

Although his medical records showed he had undergone brain surgery and radiotherapy just months earlier, his symptoms were dismissed and no CT scan was ordered, according to his family.

Instead, he was told he had a virus, advised to go home and take paracetamol.

But shortly thereafter, Mr Coppock had a cardiac arrest and it was found he had developed hydrocephalus, or fluid on the brain.

Hydrocephalus is typically treated through a procedure to drain the fluid; however, a later CT scan revealed this was not an option for fitness fanatic Mr Coppock, who had actually been left with inoperable brain stem damage.

Mr Coppock was left paralysed with a condition called locked-in syndrome, leaving him unable to talk, eat or move.

He also relies on a tracheostomy to support his breathing and is being fed through a tube.

Now, Mr Coppock’s devastated family are taking legal action against Warrington Hospital, where he was dismissed.

Stephen Coppock, Mr Coppock’s father, has claimed hospital bosses were happy to let his son ‘waste away’ in an independent neurological rehab centre for almost a year before finally admitting their wrongdoing after a damning internal report revealed a catalogue of failures.

He said he hopes his son can now access specialist equipment and treatment after an interim payment was agreed – but fears it could be ‘too little, too late.’

Stephen, 65, said the hospital should ‘hold their heads in shame’.

He said: ‘As far as I am concerned, the health service that he trusted to protect him has destroyed my boy by failing to do the basics and his life was ruined at 32 now he is a shell of his former self.

‘They robbed him of his life. Every day is like a lifetime for him as his mind is still completely active and he knows exactly what is going on but his body can’t respond.

‘His life plans have been obliterated and he is living a permanent nightmare. There is no space worse in the world for a human to occupy.’

Stephen added he can only describe his son as living in ‘hell,’ and compared his situation to Munch’s famous Scream painting. He said it is simply ‘devastating’ to see as a dad.

Mr Coppock’s ordeal began in May 2023 following a routine scan for an ongoing diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) which detected a small benign growth near his brain stem.

In November 2023, he underwent surgery to treat the growth and started a course of preventative Proton Beam therapy at The Christie in Manchester the following year.

Following the radiation treatment, life went back to normal for Mr Coppock – who had even landed a weekly DJ residency playing in a venue near his home in Warrington.

But in May 2024, everything changed following a trip to Warrington Hospital A&E for symptoms including dizziness, fatigue and vomiting. Mr Coppock waited for four hours before being triaged.

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‘It was obvious something was seriously wrong,’ Stephen said. ‘And it wasn’t just a virus and needed further investigation or at least a scan.

‘I was so angry when they sent him home Oli knew he was sick he brough an overnight bag with him as he was fully expecting to be admitted.’

A later CT scan conducted at a different hospital found Mr Coppock had hydrocephalus, a condition which occurs when there is excessive fluid on the brain.

Stephen believes if the doctor had ordered a simple CT scan originally, it would have revealed his son’s fluid on the brain and could have been a ‘simple fix’.

He said: ‘They even admitted as such in their report. Oli would now be enjoying meals out with his friends, long walks, seeing his brother play football, going to the gym, Djing and holidays in Ibiza.

‘Instead, he is a prisoner in his own body stuck in a bed staring at the ceiling and can only talk to his family by blinking.’

Stephen added the delays and refusal by the hospital to take accountability had only compounded his son’s suffering.

He said: ‘This wasn’t just a bad day the hospital just didn’t get the basics right and my son has paid a terrible price and his life as he knew it is essentially over.

‘He trusted them and believed them to keep him safe and now he is stuck in a room virtually paralysed with breathing tubes keeping him alive.

‘Oli is only in this position because of their failings in the first place and for them to starve him of any stimulation or specialist rehab equipment for so long which would have made his life slightly bearable is unforgivable.’

Mr Coppock was left unable to move his body after developing a spasticity that caused his muscles, limbs, head and neck to become stiff.

He has remained between hospital and a specialist neurological care home ever since.

An Internal Patient Safety Incident Investigation report carried out by Warrington Hospital has since revealed a catalogue of failings including not ordering a CT scan, failing to escalate his case based on past medical history and not seeking advice from senior colleagues.

The Trust admitted in their report had a scan happened it would likely have revealed the fluid on his brain which could have been easily drained leading to a quick recovery and normal life.

Stephen said: ‘It beggars belief that after admitting this that he had to wait nearly a year for them to admit they were at fault which likely caused irreparable damage to Oli. It is disgusting behaviour.’

After Mr Coppock’s family took legal action, North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust – which runs Warrington Hospital – took full liability for his condition.

The Trust admitted a CT scan ‘should have been performed’ and it was a ‘breach of duty’ to fail to do so, and surgery before Mr Coppock’s ‘catastrophic’ deterioration’ would have ‘prevented’ respiratory arrest.

They are now arranging an interim payment to help pay for specialist care and equipment following court approval last month.

The family’s lawyer Tanzeela Aslam, Head of Medical Negligence at Express Solicitors said: ‘Oli’s case illustrates how preventable errors within the NHS can have devastating and life-changing consequences for individuals and their families.

‘The impact of the initial failings was further compounded by delays in the defendant admitting liability.

‘During this time Oli was deprived of access to funds for essential therapies and treatments that could have improved his quality of life. A life that has already been significantly and prematurely shortened as a result of the Defendant’s negligence.’

North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Warrington Hospital said: ‘We are deeply sorry that Mr Coppock did not receive that standard of care that should be expected and we recognise the distress and lasting impact on patients and their families when harm is caused.’

A former Scottish laird has been sentenced to two years in prison after attacking a fellow theatregoer who was singing loudly during a Queen musical.

Malcolm Potier, 75, seized 51-year-old Kirsty O’Donnell by the throat at the London Coliseum during a live performance of We Will Rock You.

Potier, a former multi-millionaire and qualified chartered surveyor, had previously been jailed in Australia after twice attempting to hire a hitman to murder the mother of his child.

The incident took place in June 2023 while Potier was seated beside his partner, theatre critic Lizzie Loveridge, editor of the website TheatreVibe.

As the show unfolded, featuring Queen guitarist Brian May, Miss O’Donnell began singing along to the band’s well-known songs.

But Miss Loveridge told Miss O’Donnell to ‘shut the f*** up’, which she replied with ‘bit rude’. Potier then ‘leapt into action’ and leaned over his chair to throttle Miss O’Donnell for a few seconds.

Jailing Potier at Southwark Crown Court yesterday, Judge Dafna Spiro said his ‘behaviour was extreme and horrific and so concerning’.

‘There is not a pattern of offending established, but there is a common thread of dominance, control and a lack of accountability.

‘His attitude to the offence is so bizarre. It was a wholly disproportionate response to a trivial disagreement and took place in a crowded public theatre during a live performance.’

Potier was identified because Miss Loveridge left her business card at the theatre which a friend of Miss O’Donnell picked up.

Judge Spiro added: ‘She [Miss O’Donnell] developed an ongoing fear for having reported the offence and giving evidence. This caused her to reduce her public profile and take precautions she had never previously considered.

‘She decided to give evidence to send a clear message. She said, “Violence against women and girls affects too many people and I wanted to set an example to the young girls in my life that violence is not acceptable”.’

Potier from Sarratt, Hertfordshire, was found guilty of non-fatal strangulation.

He previously owned the Hebridean island of Gigha, which he bought for £5.4million in 1989 and later lost – along with his estimated £30million net worth – with his company’s collapse. He was never declared bankrupt but his assets were seized by a Swiss bank.

Amid a custody battle, Potier snatched his daughter, who was two at the time, in 1999 and entered Australia on false passports.

Then aged 50, he was arrested in Sydney the following year. While in a detention centre in 2002, he paid a fellow inmate £4,600 to kill his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend.

However, upon release, the would-be assassin fled to his native Italy with the money.

Potier was originally given a six-year sentence. He was given a second, 12-year sentence when he hatched a new plot to kill his former partner while in prison in Long Bay, New South Wales, in 2006.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to receive a high-profile international award in New York, joining a list of honourees that includes Wicked star Cynthia Erivo and Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali.

Albanese will head to the United States later this month for the United Nations General Assembly, where he is expected to once again highlight Australia’s social media ban on the global stage.

While in New York, he will be recognised as one of four recipients of the Atlantic Council’s 2026 Global Citizen Awards, with the ceremony scheduled for September 23.

The Prime Minister’s visit, centred on his UN commitments but also taking in the awards event, is understood to be funded by taxpayers.

Communications Minister Anika Wells will not attend, after previously facing criticism for billing taxpayers $94,828.75 in flights for herself and two staff members to travel to the summit in 2025.

The Daily Mail has contacted Albanese’s office for comment.

The Atlantic Council is a Washington-based think tank founded in 1961, and its awards recognise individuals who have demonstrated leadership in business, culture, innovation and global affairs. 

Announcing this year’s recipients, the council praised Albanese’s role in strengthening Australia’s position in the Indo-Pacific.

‘Anthony Albanese has played a leading role in strengthening Australia’s alliances and partnerships and advancing security and stability across the Indo-Pacific,’ the council said.

‘His leadership has reinforced Australia’s global engagement and deepened its role in shaping a more secure, stable and connected region.’

Albanese will receive the honour alongside Erivo, who starred in the blockbuster Hollywood adaptation of the musical Wicked with star Ariana Grande. 

The council said Erivo had used her platform to champion representation and connect with audiences around the world. 

‘An acclaimed actress, singer and producer, Cynthia Erivo has brought unforgettable stories and characters to audiences around the world, using her extraordinary voice and artistry to connect, inspire and challenge us to see the world differently,’ it said.

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‘Through her work across stage and screen, she has expanded the reach of powerful stories and championed greater representation in global culture.’

Formula 1 president and chief executive Stefano Domenicali will also be honoured at the event.

The council credited Domenicali with expanding the sport’s global footprint and using it as a vehicle to connect cultures and audiences.

‘Stefano Domenicali has helped champion a global platform that transcends borders, bringing together sport, luxury, entertainment, film and culture while driving innovation and advancing a more sustainable future,’ the council said.

‘Under his leadership, Formula 1 has expanded its global reach, connected new audiences and cultures, and demonstrated the power of sport to inspire and bring people together.’

Finnish President Alexander Stubb rounds out this year’s list of recipients. 

The Global Citizen Awards are regarded as one of the council’s flagship events and are held annually during UN General Assembly week in New York.

The ceremony attracts heads of government, diplomats, business executives, philanthropists and celebrities from around the world.

The Atlantic Council describes the awards as recognising people who exhibit ‘distinguished leadership’ in addressing global challenges and advancing international cooperation.

‘This special evening underscores the Atlantic Council’s critical mission to shape the global future together, while recognising the accomplishments of key global citizens seeking to improve the state of the world,’ the organisation says.

Past recipients underscore the event’s high-profile status. 

Last year’s honourees included French President Emmanuel Macron, Argentine President Javier Milei and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Other previous recipients include Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and former South Korean president Moon Jae-in.