Yes, one is VERY amused, Meghan!
IT had been billed as a masterclass in royal duties for the new Duchess of Sussex.
And with the Queen at her side, Meghan couldn’t have had a better teacher for her first solo day of engagements with the sovereign yesterday.
For her part the 92-year-old Queen set about putting her new family member at ease, with the pair frequently laughing and giggling together like old friends during their royal ‘away day’ in Cheshire.
With a bridge opening, two plaque unveilings, a walkabout, five live performances, one civic lunch, several posies and hundreds of hands shaken, there was a lot to take in for newlywed Meghan, 36, who wore an elegant but edgy Givenchy cream dress with black belt and heels.
Perhaps the pair had found time to bond on their trip to Cheshire on the Royal Train. Certainly Meghan’s journey with only the Queen for company would have been a fascinating one.
The pair had left Euston at 11pm on Wednesday. Although she could fly, the sovereign prefers the leisurely pace of her own locomotive when travelling long distances – although in fact they spent most of the night in a discreet siding well away from the main line, so the royal passengers could have an uninterrupted night’s sleep.
‘He’s the best husband ever’
For all its exclusivity, the Royal Train is not luxurious. The tea cups still bear the old British Rail logo, and there are Formica panels, strip lights, and plastic baths.
And even though they have already met several times, for Meghan an overnight journey with the Queen without Harry to ease things along would have been a new milestone in their relationship.
Not even the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge or Prince Harry have joined the Queen on board the Royal Train.
As the pair disembarked from the train, they were greeted by the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, David Briggs. The Queen smiled broadly, with an obviously nervous Meghan following her lead, saying she was ‘very happy to be here’.
But all went swimmingly as they attended their first engagement, the opening of the £1.86billion Mersey Gateway Bridge over the Mersey and a performance by schoolchildren to tunes including The Beatles’ Can’t Buy Me Love.
Their next engagement, a visit to the Storyhouse theatre and library in Chester, began with a minute’s silence as the nation marked the first anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72.
The Queen was wearing green as a mark of respect to those mourning their loved ones, who have adopted the colour as their own. Her lime green hat by Rachel Trevor Morgan matched her coat and dress, which were by Stewart Parvin.
Inside the new theatre complex, which has attracted a million visitors in its first year, they listened to children from Ashgrove Farm day nursery perform an enthusiastic version of The Wheels On The Bus and watched displays by professional and amateur performers as well as schoolchildren.
They also learnt what it was to become a ‘digital buddy’, meeting young volunteers helping older members of the community to get to grips with technology. The monarch spoke to Sarah Christian, 58, who was being guided by 20-year-old Jade Hughes as they searched for photographs of her old school on an iPad.
‘The Queen said it was much easier to swipe along on these things than to look at photographs in the albums that she has,’ Miss Hughes said.
Outside the Queen and the duchess embarked on a lively walkabout among the crowd of 2,000.
Maryam Khan, 15, who was there with her friends Kate Richards and Henrietta Halligan, also 15, said: ‘We have been standing here for six hours but it was completely worth it.’
Maryam, who is the third generation of a family from India, added: ‘Meghan has brought diversity to the Royal Family. It shows that it is a modern age. She is a role model, she is a humanitarian.’ The duchess also made it clear that her post-wedding glow hasn’t worn off yet, describing husband Prince Harry in euphoric terms.
At one point during the royal walkabout Sharon Briscoe, 61, from Chirk, Wales, asked her how married life was and Meghan replied: ‘It is wonderful. I’m really enjoying it. He’s the best husband ever.’
Mrs Briscoe said afterwards: ‘I said to give our love to Harry and to look after him. [Meghan replied], “I will do. That’s so kind. That means an awful lot to us”.’