King Charles Delivers Surprising Speech as Harry and Meghan Return to U.K.

They're back to work

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Tayfun Salci/ZUMA Press Wire

There’s something about September that just feels like a fresh start, and that applies to the royal family, too. For King Charles and Queen Camilla, it means getting back to royal duties after spending much of August enjoying their summer break. The couple recently made their first joint appearance of the season, and it came shortly after the big news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had returned to the U.K. after six years stateside. It also came with an unexpected moment from the King himself.

Charles and Camilla visited the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum, where the King delivered a speech. While a royal giving a speech at an official engagement is nothing out of the ordinary, the language he chose was a bit more surprising. Charles spoke entirely in French about "the deep friendship between the United Kingdom and France," as seen in a post shared to the royal family’s social media account.

Recapping the visit, Buckingham Palace wrote, "Celebrating the Bayeux Tapestry, now on show at the British Museum. Thank you for the historic loan, France - and for the latest magical stitch in a story that has bound our two nations together through history."

Charles also attended a garden party celebrating the Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship and met with Pakistan’s national cricket team. Meanwhile, Camilla visited the London headquarters of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD).

The joint outing marks the royals’ first public events since Harry and Meghan returned to the U.K. with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Shortly after news of their expected return, reports emerged that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were considering homes in the Cotswolds, with the village of Stow-on-the-Wold reportedly of particular interest.

A move there would put Harry within roughly two hours of Windsor, where his estranged brother, Prince William, lives with his family.

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Clara Stein

Contributing Editor