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'I'm proud to be a feminist': Meghan Markle makes online debut as Duchess of Sussex

She has the prince, the wedding ring, the title, and now the Duchess of Sussex has more authoritative confirmation of her new royal status: her own page on the British monarchy’s website.

The official profile of the 36-year-old American former actor on the palace website lists her achievements, even highlighting her quote from the 2015 United Nations conference in New York: “I am proud to be a woman and a feminist.”

The website says that from a young age, the duchess has had “a keen awareness of social issues and actively participated in charitable work. Aged 11 she successfully campaigned for a company to alter their television advert that had used sexist language to sell washing-up liquid”.

It says she volunteered in a soup kitchen in Skid Row in Los Angeles and “these early experiences helped to shape her lifelong commitment to causes such as social justice and women’s empowerment”.

Her charitable work also features prominently, noting that she became the UN women’s advocate for women’s political participation and leadership in 2015 and in the following year she was made global ambassador for the charity World Vision.

As Windsor began to return to normality, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to their Kensington Palace home.

It had, by all accounts, been a late night for the bride and groom with their private evening reception at the 17th-century Frogmore House ending with an explosion of fireworks.

Breaking with tradition, the duchess gave a speech in which she is thought to have thanked the royal family for welcoming her into the fold. Prince Harry reportedly told guests he and his wife made “such a great team” and, turning to her, said: “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

The private dinner for 200 was hosted by Prince Charles, with the TV host James Corden said to have compered the evening’s entertainment which included DJ Sam Totolee. There was a “drinks of the world”-themed bar, a dinner, then candy floss and “dirty burgers” at midnight, according to reports.

The newlyweds had arrived in a classic E-type Jaguar, lent by Prince Charles and featuring the registration E190518 – their wedding date. The duchess had changed into a Stella McCartney dress while the duke wore black tie.

Earlier an estimated 100,000 people had lined Windsor’s streets for a glimpse of the bride and groom on their carriage procession following the noon service at St George’s Chapel, at Windsor Castle.

Thousands strained to take pictures of the bride in the simple, elegant white dress with an elaborate five-metre-long veil, hand-embroidered with flowers from 53 Commonwealth countries and held in place with the Queen Mary diamond and platinum tiara lent to her by the Queen.

The identity of the wedding dress designer, British-born Clare Waight Keller at the French fashion house Givenchy, remained a secret until the moment the bride stepped out of her bridal car at the chapel.

Keller said she had not even told her husband or children. Speaking on Sunday, she revealed Harry came straight over to her after the ceremony and said: “Oh my God, thank you. She looks absolutely stunning.”

Keller said: “Well, I think everybody saw on television – he was absolutely in awe I think. She looked just incredible and it showed.” She said the duchess was “just glowing” after the ceremony.

Asked why she thought she had been chosen to create the gown, which will go down in fashion history, she said: “I think she really admired the fact that I was a woman designer and the many companies I’ve worked for – British companies and international companies. And the fact that I’m a working mother maybe played into that as well, so that was maybe part of her story.”

As the royal couple, who will not go on honeymoon immediately, returned to London, a major clean-up was under way in Windsor. Barriers were taken down, and trucks and lorries lined the streets as the international TV networks packed up and moved out and rubbish collectors moved in.