What's next for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry? The expectations for the new royal couple

Now that rings have been exchanged and bells have rung throughout the nation for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the attention upon the newest royal newlyweds turns to their next steps as a couple.

After months of anticipation following the announcement of their engagement – plus the wedding plans that followed – the Prince and Ms Markle have captured the hearts of many thousands around the world.  

Royal fans will be eager to watch the couple as they both grow into their newly defined roles and royal duties.  Here is everything we know so far about the next steps of Britain's newest royal duo.

Where will they live?

The Prince and Ms Markle will live in Nottingham Cottage, where they have been residing since their engagement in November 2017.

Reportedly referred to as 'Notts Cotts', the modest abode, only yards away from Harry's childhood home within Kensington Palace itself, has been a base for both the Prince and his brother William over the past decade.  

As the previous occupants, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent two and a half years at the cottage after their royal wedding in 2011, before moving to a permanent apartment inside Kensington Palace to accommodate their growing family. Harry moved into Nottingham Cottage shortly after. 

It is the smallest of Kensington Palace's multiple residences, residing in a part of the grounds that once housed important members of staff. There are two rooms and a private garden. 

In the long term, Harry and Meghan are expected to vacate Nottingham Cottage for a 21-room Kensington Palace apartment, adjacent to that of William and Kate. 

The apartment's roof and windows have recently been refurbished, while the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester moved out of it last November - giving legs to the rumours the newlyweds will move there.

As neighbours, the royal brothers could inhabit what was once a single suite of apartments at Kensington Palace, before it was split in two in the 1950s. The apartments are even suspected to share a secret door.

Initially however, the Prince will have a cousin for a neighbour: Princess Eugenie and her fiancé Jack Brooksbank recently took-up residence at Ivy Cottage after announcing their engagement in January this year.

The engagement came two months after the Prince and Ms Markle's - and Princess Eugenie's wedding has parallels too. Her wedding will also take place at St George's Chapel in Windsor, on October 12 later this year. 

You can assume that both couples will see a lot of each other in the months ahead, in addition to other Royals who call Kensington Palace their home. This list includes the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and of course the Cambridges.

It is yet to be confirmed when, and if, the Prince and Ms Markle will relocate from Nottingham Cottage. 

What can we expect from Meghan now?

The Duchess is now the fourth patron of the young royals' Royal Foundation, joining the Duke of Sussex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. By joining them, she will bring her considerable experience in the charity sector to Britain.

She made her first appearance as a patron in February, when she signalled her support for the Me Too and Time's Up movements, suggesting the younger generation of the Royal Family could harness their momentum to "shine a light" on women's empowerment.

Asked about her work campaigning on gender equality issues and women's empowerment, she said of the sector: "You'll often hear people say, 'you're helping women find their voices'.

“I fundamentally disagree with that because women don't need to find a voice: they have a voice. They need to feel empowered to use it and people need to be encouraged to listen.

"I think right now in the climate we are seeing so many campaigns, I mean Me Too and Time's Up, there is no better time than to really continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered and people really helping to support them, men included in that. It makes such a tremendous difference.”

We can expect the Duchess to be a strong advocate for women's rights both in the UK and throughout the Commonwealth; in April she attended a Women's Empowerment reception hosted by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, involving charities and organisations that work to promote global gender equality through girls' education.

Plus, she will not doubt join her husband on his work as a youth ambassador for the Commonwealth. Earlier this year the Duke and Duchess were introduced to around 40 of the 500 young leaders taking part in the Commonwealth Youth Forum sessions as part of the high-profile Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

The Duchess will also have to follow a new set of rules, as anyone who noticed her pantyhose-clad legs during her first appearance as a newlywed will have seen. As well as saying goodbye to bare legs at official events, she is no longer allowed to sign autographs, wear dark nail polish, take selfies with well-wishers or use social media.

Once she becomes a British citizen, she will not be allowed to vote; it is considered unconstitutional for the Queen to vote and members of the Royal family are said to follow suit.

Charitable work

The Duchess is known for her activism – having previously worked as an ambassador for UN Women and World Vision – and is expected to choose charities to work with now she is a part of the Royal family.

Her mother, Doria Ragland, introduced her to activism when she was young. She took her daughter to visit disadvantaged children in Rwanda, see the slums of Jamaica and experience poverty in Mexico when she was just 10.

“My mother raised me to be a global citizen, with eyes open to sometimes harsh realities,” the Duchess once wrote on her blog.

As well as working with the Royal Foundation, the Duke of Sussex works regularly with charities. In 2006 he co-founded Sentebale with his friend Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. The charity offers long-term support to community organisations which work children and young people, in particular to those working with orphans.

Plus, he has set up the Invictus Games, has volunteered with the Army's Personnel Recovery Unit and worked on conservation projects in Namibia, Tanzania, South Africa and Botswana.

The couple asked guests to donate money to seven chosen charities instead of buying wedding presents for them; the list included the Children's HIV Association, Crisis, the Myna Mahila Foundation, StreetGames, Scotty's Little Soldiers, Surfers Against Sewage and the Wilderness Foundation UK.

Being selected by the newlyweds has had an enormous effect on each of the charities. Surfers Against Sewage, a national marine conservation and campaigning charity currently focused on tackling plastic pollution said before the wedding that they had seen huge changes in donations.

"We have seen unprecedented levels of donations and a 100 per cent increase in volunteering,”  said Hugo Tagholm the charity’s chief executive.

“Last month alone we reached over one billion people with our message through comms which is amazing. This announcement has really broken through a glass, or should I say plastic ceiling. 

“Being picked by the royals is really a high-five to all our volunteers and everything we do.”

Public engagements

The newlyweds' first public appearance was just three days after the ceremony, at the Prince of Wales’ 70th birthday patronage celebration in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.

It marked the beginning of a new life for the Duchess, who has already spoken of her desire to "hit the ground running" in her role as a full-time member of the Royal family.

Plus, this engagement set the tone for the couple's conduct as enthusiastic supporters of charities, having asked their wedding guests to donate money to seven chosen charities as a wedding gift. 

Joined by Prince Charles, who turns 70 in November, and the Duchess of Cornwall, the garden party involved 6,000 guests from almost 400 of the Prince of Wales' patronages and 20 military affiliations.

The guest list included some of the emergency services personnel who were the first to respond to the bombing at the Manchester Arena last May; the anniversary of the attack fell on the same day as the party.

The Duke and Duchess will surely have more pubic engagements in their calendar – although a well-deserved break from the spotlight is undoubtedly on the cards for the couple.

But the couple may first spend a few days in Ireland, according to reports, making their inaugural overseas trip as a married couple to the Republic, while their honeymoon is put on hold for a period.

Where will they go on honeymoon?

Although most couples are headed for the airport departure lounge as soon as the disco ball slows on the wedding reception dancefloor, Harry and Meghan have delayed their honeymoon until an unconfirmed date. 

The couple will remain in the UK for a period of time before taking the traditional break. Countries such as Botswana - which offers stunning wildlife, breathtaking scenery and, importantly, privacy from prying eyes - could be top of the list.

Botswana is a place the Duke loves and knows well, and he reportedly whisked his fiancee to the southern African country in 2017 to mark her 36th birthday.

Many speculators believe that Namibia is the most likely destination for the couple, who will no doubt be looking for an 'off-grid' honeymoon after the intensity of the wedding. 

Namibia is renown for its private desert camps, spectacular sand dunes and animal safaris. It will be everything that a royal honeymoon requires. Much like that of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who spent their 2011 honeymoon in the sun and seclusion of the Seychelles. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could also consider a staycation, just as the Queen and Prince Phillip did in 1947. The couple spent their honeymoon at Broadlands House in Hampshire – although that would be no guarantee of favourable weather. 

What are their titles?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are now to be known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Kensington Palace has announced. 

By tradition, male members of the Royal family receive a title from the monarch on their wedding day, and the vacant title Duke of Sussex has always been regarded as the most likely choice for the Prince.

The only previous Duke of Sussex was married twice, but neither of his marriages was approved by his father, George III, meaning they were considered unlawful.

It means that Ms Markle is the first woman entitled to use the title HRH The Duchess of Sussex.

Ms Markle’s full name is Rachel Meghan Markle, but she was named as Meghan in Buckingham Palace’s announcement of the engagement, meaning she is unlikely to revert to Rachel.

The Prince will also take on the titles Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel.