Prince Harry has made his first public appearance since he and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, announced they are going to step back as senior royals last week.

Axar.az informs that, the Duke of Sussex hosted the draw for the Rugby League World Cup 2021 at Buckingham Palace today.

It is the first time the prince has appeared on royal duty since he and his wife took the world by surprise when they announced they want to become financially independent and split their time between Britain and North America.

The midday event saw Harry join Dame Katherine Grainger, chair of UK Sport, and former England rugby player Jason Robinson to draw the group teams for the men's, women's and wheelchair tournaments.

Prior to the televised draw, the Duke met with children from a local school, as well as representatives from the 21 nations participating in the tournament -- which kicks off on October 23, 2021.