On a cool spring morning in April, Meghan Markle took part in her first official service of remembrance as she joined her fiancé, Prince Harry, at an Anzac Day Dawn Service.
Organised by the New Zealand and Australian High Commissions, the couple arrived at Wellington Arch in central London for the Service of Commemoration.
Meghan, 36, looked suitably sombre in a cream coat, black hat and heels, with her hair loose.
The couple sang hymns including Abide With Me before Prince Harry lay wreaths at both the New Zealand and Australian memorials.
Meghan Markle took part in her first official service of remembrance as she joined her fiancé, Prince Harry , at an Anzac Day Dawn Service
The actress braved the brisk spring morning in April to pay her respects to the Australian and New Zealand troops who died during the landings at Gallipoli in 1916
Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle attend the Dawn Service at Wellington Arch to commemorate Anzac Day
Meghan, 36, looked suitably sombre in a cream coat, black hat and heels, with her hair loose as she attended the service this morning
Anzac Day has been commemorated in London since the first anniversary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli in 1916, when King George V attended a service at Westminster Abbey and more than 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the streets.
Since then, the services have become an important moment to recognise the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who died during the landings.
Anzac Day is commemorated as a public holiday in both countries with memorial ceremonies held at various locations.
The Dawn Service at Hyde Park Corner lasted 45 minutes.
The service began at the New Zealand memorial and included readings, the Last Post, silence, reveille and national anthems, before the couple moved to the granite Australian memorial.
Harry and Meghan were joined by the New Zealand and Australian High Commissioners and both signed a book of remembrance.
The service began at the New Zealand memorial and included readings, the Last Post, silence, reveille and national anthems, before the couple moved to the granite Australian memorial
Later in the morning at the Wreath Laying and Parade Service at the Cenotaph, Prince Harry will lay a wreath on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.
Between 300 and 400 participants will take part in the parade, including member of veterans’ associations, service and ex-service personnel and their families.
Following this parade, he and Meghan will be joined by new father Prince William at the Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey.
This will be a traditional church service, incorporating an ‘Act of Remembrance’, the Last Post and Kemal Ataturk’s words from Anzac Cove read by the Turkish Ambassador to the UK.
Harry and Meghan were joined by the New Zealand and Australian High Commissioners and both signed a book of remembrance
The couple sang hymns including Abide With Me before Prince Harry lay wreaths at both the New Zealand and Australian memorials
At the conclusion of the main service in front of the New Zealand war memorial, Harry and Meghan walked over to pay their respects to the Australian troops just the other side of Wellington Arch.
The Australian War Memorial was dedicated in 2003 to the 102,000 Australian dead of the First and Second World Wars. Harry took the lead, although glanced several times behind him to make sure his fiancée was following.
The couple first went to sign a book of commemoration together – believed to the first time Miss Markle has done so.
She then watched from the side as Harry laid a beautiful wreath at the base of the granite memorial with a hand-written card which read: ‘In loving memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice and the many whose lives were changed forever. Harry.’
He bowed and then waited for Miss Markle to join him before they thanked their hosts and walked off to their waiting car for the short drive back to Kensington Palace.
At the conclusion of the main service in front of the New Zealand war memorial, Harry and Meghan walked over to pay their respects to the Australian troops just the other side of Wellington Arch