Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are making a return to the UK this month, and they’ll be paying a visit to Manchester today.
Marking the first time the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been back in the UK since they attended the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations back in early June, the pair are to return to the country for a series of official charity events from this month, and that includes a stop-off right here in Manchester city centre.
A spokesperson for the couple said they are “delighted” to be visiting in early September.
The Duke and Duchess will also be meeting with a group of Summit delegates doing outstanding work on gender equality 💙
They will visiting “several charities close to their hearts” during their European trip, and will most-notably be attending the One Young World Summit at The Bridgewater Hall today (5 September) – which is bringing together young leaders from more than 190 countries.
The Duke and Duchess will also meet with a group of delegates working on gender equality.
One Young World is a global charity that develops young leaders who are taking action to solve the world’s biggest challenges, and the annual Summit sees 2,000 people from every country and sector gather to “inspire and empower” them to build “a fairer and more sustainable world”.
Following their One Young World Summit appearance, Prince Harry and Meghan will then be attending the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 One Year to Go event in Germany.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are visiting Manchester today as part of UK return / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The Sussexes stepped down as senior royals in January 2020, and now live in California.
The couple’s return to the UK this month comes after they kept a low-profile at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June – which was their first royal engagement together since stepping down – and opted to watch the Trooping the Colour parade in London from a window, and not take part in the carriage procession.
Join us tomorrow as we welcome young leaders from around the globe to #Manchester for the landmark event of the year.
Before that, they visited the Queen in April on their way to the Invictus Games in the Netherlands.
Prince Harry was last reported to be in the UK in the previous July, according to BBC News, while Meghan was not thought to have been in the country since 2020.
Bob Vylan dropped from Manchester music festival following Glastonbury controversy
Danny Jones
English punk rap duo Bob Vylan have been dropped from an upcoming music festival in Manchester following the recent controversy surrounding their set at Glastonbury 2025.
The media storm surrounding their much-talked-about and heavily televised Glasto appearance has seen them reportedly dropped by their agency and their US Visas cancelled, along with multiple concerts – one of those being right here in Greater Manchester.
Bob Vylan were scheduled to play RADAR Fest at Victoria Warehouse in Stretford this weekend, but now the organisers have informed gig-goers that the artists will not be performing in their planned slot on Saturday.
The alternative music event did provide any additional details, posting nothing but this image:
For anyone unaware, Vylan were heavily criticised for the pro-Palestine chants, which Glastonbury itself has deemed as having “crossed a line”, labelling the chants against the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) as antisemitic.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also commented on the situation.
In addition to RADAR, Vylan were also due to appear at Kave Fest in France the following Sunday, 6 July, but the music event has also decided not to host them.
The BBC also opted not to broadcast Northern Irish band Kneecap as part of their coverage this year, as the Belfast rap trio have also been outspoken on the issue, among many other musicians of late.
Responding to the decision on social media not long after the news broke, the act simply shared the post on their Instagram story along with the caption: “Silence is not an option. We will be fine, the people of Palestine are hurting. Manchester, we will be back.”
Trafford Centre launches school uniform drive to help disadvantaged Manchester families
Emily Sergeant
A school uniform drive has been launched at the Trafford Centre to support local families ahead of the new school year.
With schools across Greater Manchester soon set to be out for the summer holidays, many parents, guardians, and carers in the region may be looking ahead to the new school year in September, concerned about how they may be able to provide their children with the necessary uniform items needed.
According to a 2020 survey by The Children’s Society, 23% of parents reported that the cost of school uniforms led to their children wearing ‘ill-fitting, unclean, or incorrect’ items.
It’s these statistic that highlight the ongoing pressure faced by families.
This is why the Trafford Centre has partnered with both Manchester South Central Foodbank and local charity, Bridging the Gap, to launch a school uniform donation drive aimed at supporting more than 700 children across Manchester this summer.
The Trafford Centre launches a school uniform drive to help disadvantaged Manchester families / Credit: Trafford Centre
From now up until the 15 August, anyone heading to the region’s largest shopping centre is encouraged to donate new or pre-loved school uniforms.
“The cost of living crisis has deeply impacted our community, with more and more families unable to afford the essentials,” commented Emily Jeremy, who is the Assistant Project Manager at Manchester South Central Foodbank.
“As an anti-poverty charity, we recognised the need for school uniform support years ago. Though costs vary between schools, a full set of branded secondary school uniform can total around £150, which is a significant burden for many households.”
All items can be donated at the shopping centre’s Guest Services point / Credit: Darren Robinson Photography | Trafford Centre (Supplied)
Simon Layton, Centre Director at the Trafford Centre, added: “We’re proud to be working alongside Bridging the Gap and Manchester South Central Foodbank to support local families during these challenging times.
“School uniforms shouldn’t be a barrier to education, and we hope this initiative will ease some of the pressure many parents face as the new school year approaches.”
The school uniform donation drive is running up until 15 August.
All items can be taken to the Trafford Centre’s Guest Services Lounge, which is located on Lower Regent Crescent next to M&S, and they must be clean and free from stains or damage.
Emily Sergeant -
5th September 2022 
