Thrown in at the deep end ... in Nottingham!

MISS Markle is diving straight into her official royal duties – with a trip to Nottingham on Friday.

The visit, less than two weeks after she arrived from Canada, will begin an intensive six-month tour of the UK.

Harry and his fiancee will even undertake their first public walkabout together in the city where the prince has spent a significant amount of time working with youth groups.

Harry’s spokesman Jason Knauf said the prince was ‘looking forward’ to introducing his fiancee to a community ‘that has become very special to him’.

In her official engagement interview on Monday, Miss Markle said: ‘I’m excited to get to know more about the communities here, smaller organisations who are working on the same causes that I’ve always been passionate about ... and also being able to go round the Commonwealth. I think it’s just the beginning.’

By contrast, the Duchess of Cambridge undertook a small number of engagements after her wedding to Prince William in 2011 and made clear that she wanted to concentrate on being a wife to him on Anglesey for the first year of married life.

Miss Markle has long championed a number of charitable causes, including World Vision Canada and UN Women, which she is now ‘regretfully’ giving up.

Kensington Palace said Miss Markle wanted to start her new life ‘with a clean slate’ and devote herself to issues in the UK, a decision Harry has supported her in. She will become the fourth patron of William, Kate and Harry’s own charity, The Royal Foundation, as her first formal charity role.

She and Harry are also, the Mail understands, being earmarked to head a new Queen’s Commonwealth Trust charity. This will be launched in the lead up to the Commonwealth summit next April.

A spokesman said yesterday that the Commonwealth was a ‘big priority’ for the couple.

Miss Markle’s go-getting attitude and her determination to ‘hit the ground running’, is being seen as a breath of fresh air in royal circles. The couple’s engagements in Nottingham on Friday will begin with a visit to the Nottingham Contemporary, which will be hosting a Terrence Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair.

They will also meet with other groups including the African Institute for Social Development and Champions of Change.

Mr Knauf said: ‘Miss Markle cannot wait to meet many of the young people Prince Harry has told her so much about.’