As she attended her first official public engagement with Prince Harry on Friday it was hard to believe that Meghan Markle wasn’t born a royal.
As she charmed the crowds of Nottingham the US actress proved herself to be a natural royal and it was easy to forget her showbiz past.
However, newly unearthed photos shoot showcases the stark differences between the 36-year-old’s future and her past career.
Newly unearthed photos see Meghan Markle posing for Canadian men’s lifestyle magazine Sharp back in 2013
A a 2013 issue of Canadian men’s lifestyle magazine, Sharp sees Prince Harry’s fiancee pose in a rather provocative shoot.
Meghan showcases her enviable figure in a series of revealing ensembles as she poses for the popular men’s mag.
In one image the actress playfully drops one side of her top revealing her shoulder underneath and in another she lifts the hem of her dress to showcase her thigh.
While the photos might be worlds away from the Meghan Markle we saw in Nottingham today, the interview that accompanied proves she was as humble as an actress as she is today.
![The set of photos see the 36-year-old bride-to-be posing in a series of provocative photos](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/01/17/46E1254400000578-5137229-image-a-59_1512149182864.jpg)
The set of photos see the 36-year-old bride-to-be posing in a series of provocative photos
![In an interview accompanying the images Meghan proves herself to be as down-to-earth as she is today, saying she struggles to see what other people see](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/01/17/46E1258C00000578-5137229-image-a-60_1512149192836.jpg)
In an interview accompanying the images Meghan proves herself to be as down-to-earth as she is today, saying she struggles to see what other people see
Speaking to Greg Hudson, Meghan said: ‘In middle school and high school, there was this huge span of my life where I was just the girl with the crazy curly hair, a big gap between my teeth, with skinny legs.
‘My self-identification was wrapped up in being the smart one, so it’s funny to think that anyone would say, “I used to date her then,” with any pride.
‘That perception that people see of me… is so foreign and weird to me. I’m just Meg, you know?’
Meghan’s famously down to earth approach was praised by those who met her during her engagement in Nottingham today.
![Meghan joined Prince Harry in Nottingham today marking their first official engagement as a couple](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/01/17/46DF81ED00000578-5137229-image-a-61_1512149232554.jpg)
Meghan joined Prince Harry in Nottingham today marking their first official engagement as a couple
![The US actress was praised as a 'complete natural' by those who met her during the meet and greet on Friday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/01/17/46DFB3C600000578-5137229-image-a-63_1512149943720.jpg)
The US actress was praised as a ‘complete natural’ by those who met her during the meet and greet on Friday
Her public life began with accomplished appearances meeting well-wishers, charity workers and students where she was described as a ‘complete natural’.
With Harry by her side, Meghan’s introduction to her future role as a royal started with a whirlwind walkabout in Nottingham, where hundreds of excited well-wishers chanted the couple’s names or stretched out hands to greet them.
The couple also met delegates at an event marking World Aids Day and one guest described the prince and his fiancee as ‘a perfect match’ adding: ‘This may have been her first official engagement, but she was a complete natural at it.’
The public meet-and-greet was planned by the prince, 33, to introduce his bride-to-be to a city and its people close to his heart.
In scenes reminiscent of the early days of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s married life, a sea of camera phones greeted their arrival along with chants of ‘Harry, Harry’ and ‘Meghan, Meghan’.
![Harry and his fiancee posed for a photograph with the cast and crew of a hip hop opera performed by young people involved in the Full Effect programme](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/01/17/46E1108600000578-5137229-image-a-65_1512150150648.jpg)
Harry and his fiancee posed for a photograph with the cast and crew of a hip hop opera performed by young people involved in the Full Effect programme
As the walkabout progressed, outside the National Justice Museum in Nottingham’s historic Lace Market district, a woman asked Harry’s fiancee how she felt about being in the city and she replied: ‘I’m so happy, it’s real good to be here.’
The couple’s love was clear to see in the way they continually touched each other, held hands and glanced into each other’s eyes.
In the nearby Nottingham Contemporary art centre, the couple lent their support to a World Aids Day charity fair hosted by the Terrence Higgins Trust, and both wore red ribbons to show their solidarity.
During the event the prince and Ms Markle listened attentively, as they were shown a UK Aids Memorial Quilt, one of 48 nationally whose different patchwork panels made by friends and lovers pay tribute to those lost to HIV/Aids.
The appearance by the former Suits actress dazzled Amdani Juma, the project coordinator for the organisation Champions For Change.
He said: ‘She is beautiful. Only a prince can have a lady like that!’
The final event saw the couple visit Nottingham Academy to meet headteachers taking part in the Full Effect programme.
The project provides early intervention and training to children and young people in the St Ann’s area of Nottingham who may become involved in youth violence and crime.
Harry and Ms Markle chatted with Full Effect mentor Chantelle Stefanovic, 30, who recently spoke about the issues facing children and young people in St Ann’s at the inaugural summit of the Obama Foundation in Chicago attended by Harry.
She was presented with a framed picture of herself, Harry and Barack Obama, taken at the summit, by the couple.