It was a glimpse of the old Prince Harry as he ditched the celebrity bubble of his Montecito life and headed for the rugby, pint in hand, living his UK dream again.
His enthusiasm, however, was not shared by everyone in attendance, with the 42-year-old greeted by boos from some sections of the crowd when he appeared 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 broadcaster cut away from the prince seconds later.
The trip marked Prince Harry’s first solo public outing since he, his wife Meghan, 45, and their children Lilibet and Archie returned to the UK in August.
The royal cheered from the stands as he watched Leicester Tigers take on rivals Gloucester Rugby in a close match at Welford Road on Friday night.
Prince Harry was glued to the action, punching the air and high-fiving his friend in celebration of Leicester pushing ahead to their ultimate 38-31 win.
It came as Meghan was spotted dining with Malala Yousafzai at Claridge‘s in London, marking her first public appearance since the family – with seven-year-old Archie and five-year-old Lilibet – stepped back into the spotlight after years of seclusion in California.
Video taken by a diner at the luxury Claridge’s restaurant shows Meghan and the Nobel Peace Prize winner seated at a table in the corner.
Prince Harry was seen chatting with a friend with a pint in hand this evening as he watched Leicester Tigers take on Gloucester Rugby at Welford Road Stadium
The Duke of Sussex appeared to cheer in excitement during a particularly thrilling part of the game
Prince Harry deep in concentration during tonight’s Slater Cup game
Last night it was Prince Harry’s turn to step back into the limelight as he watched the match alongside friends and with Andrea Pinchen, the Tigers chief executive.
The two rugby clubs were battling it out for the Slater Cup in honour of Ed Slater – the former captain for both sides who was forced to retire in July 2022 after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.
Leicester came from 14 points down to give Gloucester their first loss of the season and retain the cup.
Harry has been a lifelong fan of the sport but left his wife and children at home in the Cotswolds for the match.
The family returned to the UK in August from their Montecito home ahead of the start of the new school year.
But if it was hoped their change of location would instantly lead to a thawing of tensions between Harry and the rest of the Royal Family, most notably his brother, Prince William, this does not appear to be the case.
It was reported last night that the Sussexes will not be spending Christmas with family members: instead ditching traditional celebrations at Sandringham most likely for a visit to California.
The monarch hosts members of the Royal Family at the residence in Norfolk each December, continuing a tradition started by Edward VII in 1870.
But a friend told the Daily Mail that the Sussexes are trying to ‘keep their heads down between now and Christmas, when they will go back to California for the holidays’.
Separately, this week it emerged Prince Harry pocketed $100,000 plus a share of subscription revenues for his 99-minute ‘masterclass’ on grief.
The Duke of Sussex gave a raw and emotional account of dealing with the death of his mother Princess Diana, as well as his struggles with depression and feelings of uselessness following Megxit, in the online seminar.
A source close to the prince told the Daily Mail: ‘I’d encourage everyone to watch it before casting any judgment,’ adding he should not be criticised at length for ‘speaking from the heart’.
A spokesman for Harry confirmed he was paid by MasterClass – which gets celebrity experts and industry icons to teach pre-recorded classes about their craft, art or business – for taking part in Redefining Grief: Building Resilience Through Loss but they declined to comment further.
MasterClass instructors can expect an upfront payment of at least $100,000 (£75,500), plus 30 per cent of any subscription revenue generated by their courses, according to Forbes.
Harry is listed as a co-instructor alongside American neuroscientist Dr Mary-Frances O’Connor, where they hope the class will 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
In footage posted by Meghan since her and Harry’s return to the UK, they are seen walking in wellingtons through the woods, with Meghan beckoning to the camera, thought to be held by one of the children, and saying ‘Come on, you!’
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.’
Harry said he now follows a strict ‘ten-day’ rule to protect his happiness.
He said: ‘The biggest factor for me is the energy, joy and happiness I get from being with my family, especially our children, and from being on the ground doing my work.
‘The key to maintaining that balance is spending no more than ten days away from my wife and kids.
‘It’s about balancing my work and sense of purpose with being a dad and a husband.’
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 on Wednesday.
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’.