The Duchess of Sussex will spend the day with the Queen next week, carrying out a day of engagements in Cheshire on Thursday 14 June. New dates in the court circular reveal that the royals will officially open the Mersey Gateway Bridge before opening the Storyhouse Theatre. Meghan and the monarch will then attend a lunch at Chester Town Hall.
Meghan's day out with the Queen marks a milestone in her royal life. It is the first time the former actress is carrying out official duties without her husband Prince Harry, and also marks her first engagement with the 92-year-old monarch. Meghan has previously accompanied the Queen on other engagements, such as at the Commonwealth Day service in March, but she was joined by other members of the royal family.
© Photo: Getty ImagesHarry and Meghan are currently on their honeymoon
Meghan officially joined the royal family two weeks ago, when she married Prince Harry at St George's Chapel in Windsor. In contrast, the Duchess of Cambridge waited nearly a year before she carried out her first engagement with the Queen, without her husband Prince William. In March 2012, Kate and the monarch visited the iconic Fortnum & Mason store in central London, accompanied by Prince Charles' wife Camilla.
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Take a peek inside Meghan's jewellery collection...
Harry, 33, and Meghan, 36, are currently on their honeymoon, but the couple are expected to make their next official appearance on Saturday at Trooping the Colour. The newlyweds will join the rest of the royal family in celebrating the Queen's birthday at Buckingham Palace. Kate, who is on maternity leave until the autumn, is also expected to make a rare appearance. The Duchess' children Prince George and Princess Charlotte will join in the festivities, but it's thought that William and Kate's newborn son, Prince Louis, is still too young.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesKate's first engagement with the Queen was in 2012
Despite being on their honeymoon, Harry did choose to announce some very exciting work-related news. The Prince revealed via Kensington Palace that the fifth Invictus Games will be hosted by the Netherlands in May 2020. Harry is patron and founder of the Invictus Games Foundation and will visit the country next month.
