26 February 2020
Newsdesk
The Duke of Sussex asked to be addressed simply as 'Harry' as he made his first public appearance since the agreement that he and wife Meghan will be stepping back as senior members of the British royal family.
The 35-year-old prince returned to the UK from Canada for his final engagements before officially stepping away from royal life next month.
On Wednesday (26.02.20), he attended the Edinburgh International Conference Centre for an event for eco-tourism initiative Travalyst, which he launched last summer along with brands including Booking.com, Skyscanner, Tripadvisor, Trip.com and Visa to try and make tourism and travel more environmentally friendly and make greener options more accessible.
As he stepped on stage he told host Ayesha Hazarika to "just call me Harry".
She said to the delegates: "He's made it clear that we are all just to call him Harry. So ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, warm, Scottish welcome to Harry."
His request comes just days after he and his wife Meghan Markle released a statement confirming they wouldn't be using 'Royal' in their branding.
They said: "As The Duke and Duchess will no longer be considered full-time working Members of The Royal Family, it was agreed that use of the word 'Royal' would need to be reviewed as it pertains to organisations associated with them in this new regard ... While there is not any jurisdiction by The Monarchy or Cabinet Office over the use of the word 'Royal' overseas, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not intend to use 'Sussex Royal' or any iteration of the word 'Royal' in any territory (either within the UK or otherwise) when the transition occurs Spring 2020."
The Duke of Sussex flew back to the UK on Tuesday (25.02.20) after spending a month in Canada with his wife and their nine-month-old son Archie.
On March 5, Harry will be joined by Meghan at the Endeavour Fund Awards in London and two days later, they will be at the city's Royal Albert Hall for the Mountbatten Music Festival.
It is unclear if Meghan and Archie are currently in the UK or if they will join Harry at a later date.
