Meghan Markle’s First Public Appearance with the Queen Comes with Extra Significance

Meghan Markle will attend her first official engagement Monday, alongside Queen Elizabeth, at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. The move, which shows just how warmly Prince Harry’s American fiancée has been welcomed into the royal fold, will be the most important engagement Ms. Markle has carried out to date.

Markle will join the Queen and other senior royals including the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. All eyes, however, will be on Markle and how she fares at such an important event. The royal-to-be and Prince Harry have outlined their intention to work closely with the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 53 countries, many of them former British colonies like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica, South Africa, and Cyprus. Meghan and Harry have said that they plan to concentrate on projects helping young people in Commonwealth countries and realms once they are married. Prince Harry is also due to take on an official leadership role within the Commonwealth, which is expected to be announced at next month’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (C.H.O.G.M.).

The prince has also been asked to pay a special tribute to his grandmother and her work within the Commonwealth at a concert to celebrate the Queen’s 92nd birthday at the Royal Albert Hall on April 21. Royal sources describe Harry’s “prominent role” alongside Kylie Minogue, one of the headliners at the concert, which is scheduled on the Queen’s actual birthday. “The concert is still being planned, acts are being confirmed at the moment, and exactly who is doing what has yet to be finalized, but there’s a definite plan for Prince Harry to have a prominent role on the night,” said one source. “The idea is that he will be onstage for some of the night.”

Sources say that Markle will also attend the concert, and is keen to learn more about the Commonwealth and meet with some of its leaders. Although she is American, Markle has spent much of the past seven years living in Canada, and there are rumors the couple will visit the Commonwealth country after their May wedding. There are also rumors that Harry and Meghan will travel to Australia, which is hosting the Invictus Games in October, and possibly New Zealand on behalf of the Queen.

Meghan Markle’s Royal Style