Bride to be Meghan Markle attended her first major event on behalf of the Royal Family today when she joined Prince Harry for a Commonwealth reception.
Just over a month ahead of the royal wedding, former actress Miss Markle met with youth delegates taking part in this week’s high-profile Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) in London.
The bride-to-be looked business-like in a £1,450 belted pinstripe dress by Altuzarra, with a Camilla and Marc blazer worn in a trendy ‘shoulder-robed’ style made popular by the Kardashians.
And she added another fashionable touch in the form of an Orton bag, £171, opting for an on-trend crossbody style as opposed to a clutch favoured by other royals such as the Duchess of Cambridge.
Earlier this week, Prince Harry said his fiancée is ‘hugely excited’ to be joining him in his Commonwealth duties.
The prince has been given a new role as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador by the Queen and opened its Youth Forum on Monday.
It is unusual for someone who has not yet married into the royal family to be involved in a high-profile occasion such as the Chogm summit.
But the Queen, who is Head of the Commonwealth, has made clear she sees Harry and his future bride as lynchpins of her work with the so-called ‘family of nations’.
Meghan Markle attend a reception with delegates from the Commonwealth Youth Forum at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
Meghan looked business-like in a pinstripe dress by Altuzarra, teamed with black strappy sandals and a blazer by Camilla and Marc
Suits star Miss Markle, 36, has given up her acting career to devote herself to being a full-time royal.
And although she has no previous links to the Commonwealth, she has worked with the UN as a women’s advocate for Political Participation and Leadership and undertaken several humanitarian missions.
She has also always made clear her intention to ‘hit the ground running’ when it came to her official duties and her desire to facilitate change, with a particular emphasis on women and young people.
As they arrived, the young delegates attending the summit appeared keen to seize the opportunity to update the couple on how the sessions have progressed.
The couple received a warm welcome as they arrived for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, Meghan’s most high profile event to date
The bride-to-be opted for a monochrome colour scheme, in a pinstripe dress accessorised with a black and white handbag. The former Suits star decided to forgo her usual messy bun and wore her hair flowing around her shoulders
Prince Harry placed a protective hand on his future bride’s back as they made their entrance (left). Stylish Meghan added some fashionable touches to her outfit by wearing her blazer slug around her shoulders and opting for an on-trend cross body bag
The Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) provides an opportunity for the young people to build cross-cultural connections and networks, debate the challenges facing them, and agree youth-led initiatives to influence decision makers and ensure young people have a voice in its future.
The Commonwealth’s 53 member countries have a combined population of more than 2 billion, of which more than 60% are under 30 years of age, which makes its ‘youth’ arm all the more important.
Harry’s new title – the first senior royal role given to him by the monarch –will see the fifth in line to the throne support the work and aspirations of young people across the globe, work to create links between young people and to encourage them to use their platforms to address the social, economic, and environmental challenges of their generation.
Meghan eschewed her customary messy bun and allowed her brunette locks to tumble around her shoulders. Like the Duchess of Cambridge the bride-to-be seems to be a fan of a voluminous blow dry
He and his wife will work both in the UK and abroad to highlight the value of the Commonwealth, and are understood to be planning a number of foreign tours to member states.
Last week the prince was also announced as President of a new Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT), a youth charity, of which the monarch is Patron, which will provide a platform for young change-makers across the Commonwealth in the areas of education, sport, health and the environment.
Chogm is a summit of the leaders of all 53 Commonwealth nations, held in a different member state every two years, where issues and policies of common importance are thrashed out.
This year’s event is particularly significant as it is expected to be the last time the Queen will ever attend.
The monarch, who turns 92 this week, no longer undertakes foreign travel and this week’s summit was deliberately moved to London in order for her to take part.
The Commonwealth will take on an increasingly important role as regards trade and diplomacy when Britain exits the EU.