The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Meghan enjoys first trip with her new gran-in-law
Duchess of Sussex’s debut duty with Queen
The Duchess of Sussex enjoyed a day out with the Queen in Cheshire as they took part in their first official engagements together.
T housands turned out to catch a glimpse of the newlywed as she accompanied the 92-yearold monarch for the first time without her husband Harry on official engagements in Runcorn, Widnes and Chester.
Meghan, 36, was by her new grandmother-in-law’s side as she officially opened the Mersey Gateway bridge and the Storyhouse arts centre in Chester, where they also observed a minute’s silence for the first anniversary of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
The pair travelled up to the north-west of England on the Royal Train and arrived to cheers from flagwaving schoolchildren at a blustery Runcorn train station yesterday morning.
The US- born former actress confirmed it was her first visit to the north of the country as she was greeted by the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire David Briggs MBE and was presented with a posy of flowers by five-yearold Abigail Grimes.
The royals then took a short car journey to the Catalyst science museum in Widnes, where the Queen unveiled a plaque to mark the opening of the £1.86 billion bridge over the River Mersey.
The two appeared to share a joke together as they smiled while watching a performance by children from the Andrew Curphey Theatre Company.
Mr Curphey, 32, who met the royals after the performance, said: “The Queen said she thoroughly enjoyed it and it was lovely to see the history of the bridge on the videos.
“As Meghan walked away from me she turned back and said: ‘The children did great, by the way.’
“Meghan seemed really, really calm considering it was her first official engagement with the boss.”
Among the dignitaries who met the royals in Widnes were Grange Hill and Brookside creator Phil Redmond and wife Alexis, the High Sheriff of Cheshire.
Mr Redmond joked he should have asked Meghan if she wanted a part in his soap Hollyoaks.
He said: “I didn’t ask her, but there’s still lunch yet. She’ll have to go through the audition process like everybody else.”