Markle takes part in first royal engagement with queen
She joined Prince Harry at London’s Westminster Abbey
PRINCE Harry’s American fiancée Meghan Markle took part in her first official royal engagement with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth since the couple announced last year they were getting married in May.
Markle joined her husband-to-be and Britain’s other senior royals, including Harry’s father Prince Charles, and his elder brother, Prince William, and his wife Kate at London’s Westminster Abbey for the Commonwealth service on Monday.
British Prime Minister Theresa May and Patricia Scotland, the Commonwealth Secretary-General were among the 2 000-strong congregation for the service, the largest annual interfaith gathering in the UK, which also included more than 800 schoolchildren and young people.
Elizabeth has been head of the Commonwealth since 1952 and aides say she regards the success of the organisation, which now has 53 members representing over 2.4 billion people, as one of her greatest achievements as queen.
She has made more than 200 trips to Commonwealth countries during her 66-year reign, visiting every country with the exception of Cameroon and Rwanda.
London will host next month’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting where the BBC and other British media have speculated that the issue of who will succeed the 91-year-old monarch might be discussed.
“Having enjoyed the warm hospitality of so many Commonwealth countries over the years, I look forward to the pleasure of welcoming the leaders of our family of 53 nations to my homes in London and Windsor,” the queen said.
Windsor Castle will also will be the setting for the wedding of Harry and actress Markle, star of US TV drama Suits, on May 19. – Reuters