Meghan Markle Returns from Maternity Leave in Her New Collection

From Harper's BAZAAR

• Meghan Markle publicly resumed royal duties after maternity leave by attending the launch of her charity collection of work apparel benefiting the charity Smart Works.

• She wore a white button-down shirt and black trousers from the capsule.

She's officially back! The Duchess of Sussex marks the end of her maternity leave with a public work engagement celebrating the launch of her new clothing collection supporting the charity Smart Works. Duchess Meghan, a royal patron of the organization, arrived to the event at London's flagship John Lewis store wearing a white button-down shirt and black trousers from the range, accented with a thin brown belt. She completed the ensemble with tan suede pumps and layered gold necklaces.

The royal collaborated with a handful of U.K. brands to create a five-piece range of staple office attire, dubbed The Smart Set. The pieces include blazer and trousers from Jigsaw, dresses from Marks & Spencer, a white button-down shirt from Misha Nonoo, and a tote bag from John Lewis & Partners. (Unfortunately for American fans, only the bag is available to shop from the U.S.) For each item sold, one item will be donated to Smart Works, a charity that helps women entering the workplace with resources such as interview training or and office-appropriate clothing.

Although Meghan has technically been on maternity leave since before giving birth to her son, Archie, in May, she's been working diligently behind the scenes to get this project done. She first revealed the news in the September 2019 issue of British Vogue, which she guest-edited. "Not only does this allow us to be part of each other's story, it reminds us we are in it together," she said in the magazine.

Last month, she teased the release with a video of her surprising models at the Smart Set photo shoot.

The Duchess of Sussex has made some occasional public appearances in addition to her work behind closed doors. She attended events like the Lion King premiere (and met Beyoncé!) and the Wimbledon final with Kate Middleton over the summer. Just last weekend, we saw her across the Atlantic in New York to watch friend Serena Williams in the US Open, although that wasn't an official work engagement; just a personal trip.

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