Meghan Markle performs royal duties ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry as she joins the monarchs for the Queen's Christmas lunch.
In an unusual move from Queen Elizabeth II, she invited Markle to join the annual royal tradition, even before she weds her grandson.
According to Daily Mail, Markle follows in the footsteps of the Duchess of Cambridge, who also joined the Christmas luncheon in 2010, back when she was still Prince William's fiance.
Unlike Kate Middleton, however, Markle will also be joining the royals celebrate Christmas at the Queen's Sandringham Estate on Dec. 25. Middleton was not able to join the royal Christmas celebrations until she and the Duke of Cambridge were married.
In the luncheon, the "Suits" star met most of the extended royal family for the first time. A source said the actress seemed to be nervous at first, but soon got the hang of it as Prince Harry took her around and introduced her to his family.
"Everyone wanted to meet Meghan and welcome her to the family and she didn't disappoint," said another insider.
Sources added that Markle enjoyed the banquet, where she pulled a cracker with her future father-in-law, Prince Charles. She also donned a paper hat while reading out a corny joke.
Later in the day, the Kensington Palace released the engagement photos of the couple, taken earlier this week by fashion photographer Alexi Lubomirski at Frogmore House, Windsor.
Through the British monarchs' official Twitter account, the royal family showcased two photos of the couple, one colored and one in black and white, both showcasing Markle's engagement ring, which sports a diamond from Botswana as well as smaller diamonds that had belonged to Princess Diana. The post was followed later on by a candid shot of Markle and Prince Harry during the photoshoot.
As a way to say thank you, they have decided to share this candid photograph from the day of their portrait sittings directly with all of you. pic.twitter.com/MROyiKWEnG
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) December 21, 2017 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">Markle and Prince Harry will get married on May 19, 2018 at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
