Meghan Markle Attended Her First Official Royal Event With Prince Harry

For a charity event that Princess Diana would have been proud of.

All eyes have been on Prince Harry and his bride-to-be Meghan Markle since news of their engagement broke one week ago. On Friday, the pair stepped out for their first official event as an engaged couple and appeared at a Terrence Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair in Nottingham. Markle seemed completely at ease with the crowd as she shook hands with the public and smiled for the cameras.

At each stall, HRH and Ms. Markle spoke to people who work with @THTorguk in Nottingham to encourage people to get tested. #WorldAidsDay pic.twitter.com/CwVeOWh3pR

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) December 1, 2017

Terrence Higgins Trust is the U.K.’s leading HIV and sexual health charity and is part of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Upon her marriage into the royal family, Markle is poised to become a patron of the Royal Foundation, too.

HIV/AIDs is also a cause about which Prince Harry and Prince William’s mother, the late Princess Diana, was passionate. In October, Prince Harry accepted a posthumous award on behalf of his mother’s trailblazing work in raising awareness for the epidemic.

The Princess of Wales’s public meetings with AIDS patients helped to change global perceptions around HIV/AIDS. pic.twitter.com/kl8XvX4y7g

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) October 12, 2017

On Friday, Prince Harry and Markle visited a school in Nottingham, spending time with students and staff involved in Full Effect. The program is supported by the Royal Foundation and provides anti-violence and anti-crime training and mentorship for youth.

Next, HRH and Ms. Markle visit @NottinghamAcad to see the work of @wearefulleffect – a programme established by Prince Harry through The Royal Foundation to prevent young people getting involved in crime. pic.twitter.com/orXWgqOkyj

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) December 1, 2017

Upon the news of her engagement, Markle, an actress who most recently starred in the series “Suits” on the USA Network, announced that she will retiring from acting in order to focus on this “new chapter” in her life.

“We realized once you have access and a voice that people are willing to listen to, with that comes a lot of responsibility, which I take seriously,” Markle said in her and Prince Harry’s interview with the BBC last week. “And now being boots on the ground in the U.K., I’m excited to just really get to know more about the different communities here, [and learn about the] smaller organizations who are working on the same causes that I’ve always been passionate about under this umbrella.”

Congratulations to the happy couple, and we can’t wait to see how their charitable work continues and grows!

Watch for more details about the pair’s engagement: