Meghan Markle joins Prince Harry as she begins work with Commonwealth youth group

Bride-to-be Meghan Markle has joined Prince Harry as the couple begin their work with the Commonwealth Youth Forum together.

Just over a month ahead of the royal wedding, American star Ms Markle attended an event in London as part of the high-profile Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) week.

They were being introduced to around 40 of the 500 young leaders taking part in the Forum's sessions on Wednesday afternoon.

Ms Markle was dressed for the warm weather in a cream sundress with thin,  black-stripe detailing, by Altuzarra, and towering black stiletto heels. 

Harry has said the former Suits actress is "hugely excited" to be joining him in his Commonwealth duties.

The prince has been given a new role as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador by the Queen and opened the Youth Forum on Monday.

The pair, who will marry in Windsor on May 19, plan to support the Queen - the head of the Commonwealth - by taking a lead in Commonwealth youth matters.

At a reception at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in central London, Ms Markle and Harry met delegates who have been taking part in the Youth Forum's sessions.

The Forum is encouraging young people to debate challenges facing their generation, and agree youth-led initiatives to influence decision-makers.

Ms Markle and Harry will also attend a Women's Empowerment reception on Thursday, hosted by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, involving charities and organisations that work to promote global gender equality through girls' education.

The Chogm summit is staged every two years to discuss the major challenges facing the Commonwealth's 2.4 billion citizens. Heads of the 53 Commonwealth nations are meeting in London and Windsor.

It is unusual for someone who has not yet married into the Royal family to be involved in a high-profile occasion such as the Chogm summit.

Ms Markle has given up her acting career to devote herself to being a full-time royal.

She has already spent Christmas with the royals at Sandringham - a break with tradition because she and Harry were not yet wed - and joined Harry on wide-ranging official engagements around the country.

Latest news about plans for Royal wedding

Harry, the fifth in line to the throne, and Ms Markle, the US actress, will wed on Saturday, May 19 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

The couple, who announced their engagement in November, are planning their own wedding celebration that “reflects the characters of the bride and groom”

From flowers to seating plans, the pair are taking charge of a ceremony designed to incorporate both families, their wide circle of friends, and welcome the public into their lives. 

Click here for the latest news about plans for their big day.

Couple to greet well-wishers in Windsor

As they say their vows in front of the watching world, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will have a lifetime of Royal tours ahead of them as a married couple. They will waste no time getting started, it seems.

Kensington Palace announced last month that the newlyweds are to undertake a tour of Windsor as their first trip as a married couple, to greet well-wishers who are expected to turn out from all over the world to see them.

Prince Harry and Ms Markle have already released a series of updates about their day - and how they hope to “share their celebrations with the public”.

Decisions include a carriage ride through Windsor, taking place straight after the St George’s Chapel ceremony and before their reception.

The journey is designed to allow members of the public to see the couple in the flesh, while they are still dressed in their finery, in what is likely to be one of the most photographed occasions of the year.

In a series of updates about the wedding, Kensington Palace also announced that the wedding service, at St George's Chapel at midday, will be conducted by The Dean of Windsor, The Rt Revd David Conner.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Revd. and Rt Hon. Justin Welby, will, as expected, officiate as the couple make their marriage vows.

At 1pm, immediately after the service, Prince Harry and Ms Markle, who will receive new titles reflecting their married status on the day, will leave Windsor Castle by carriage, via Castle Hill, along the High Street and through Windsor Town before returning along the Long Walk for their reception.

“They hope this short journey will provide an opportunity for more people to come together around Windsor and to enjoy the atmosphere of this special day,” a spokesman said.

Guests from the congregation will await the happy couple in St George's Hall, to celebrate with the first of two receptions.

The second, for close friends and family, will be thrown in the evening by Prince Harry’s father, the Prince of Wales.

The timings should go some way to allaying the fears of those concerned about a clash with the FA Cup final, with the football match likely to kick off at 5.30pm. 

A spokesman for Kensington Palace said: “Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle are hugely grateful for the many good wishes they have received since announcing their engagement. “They are very much looking forward to the day and to being able to share their celebrations with the public.”

While the final arrangements for the wedding are expected to reflect the personalities of the Prince and Ms Markle with some unique elements, the basic outline of celebrations, as announced by the palace, follows tradition.

Other Royal couples, including the Earl and Countess of Wessex, have also undertaken a carriage procession after their Windsor weddings, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge enjoying the same two-tier receptions following their 2011 nuptials.

While their reception ended with an energetic Prince Harry rounding younger guests onto a minibus to continue the party into the early hours, the calming  influence of Ms Markle may see a more sophisticated conclusion to the Prince’s own day.

'All the stars were aligned': How the couple met

After announcing their engagement, the couple gave an insight into their 16-month romance in a BBC interview - and described how they met on a blind date set up by a mutual friend.

Ms Markle told how she could not wait to say "yes" to the prince when Harry got down on one knee a few weeks ago as they cooked a roast chicken dinner at his home, Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace.

Indicating the depths of his feeling for his bride-to-be, Prince Harry said: "The fact that I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly was sort of confirmation to me that everything, all the stars were aligned, everything was just perfect.

"It was this beautiful woman just sort of literally tripped and fell into my life, I fell into her life." 

Full interview: Harry and Meghan reveal engagement joy

A few months into the relationship, Harry said he had to have "some pretty frank conversations" with Meghan about how her life may change when she entered the royal family.

He added: "But I know that at the end of the day she chooses me, and I choose her, and therefore whatever we have to tackle together or individually we'll always be us together as a team, so I think she's capable... she's capable of anything."