The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were joined by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Wednesday morning for the quartet’s first joint engagement together.
The four royals attended the first annual event to celebrate the success of The Royal Foundation.
Under the theme ‘Making a Difference Together,’ the young royals gathered together in the City of London to showcase the successes of the foundation.
Hugely successful initiatives that have come about as a result of the foundation includes the Heads Together campaign and The Invictus Games.
This event is Meghan Markle’s first official engagement with a member of The Royal Family who isn’t her fiancé.
She has previously appeared alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on Christmas Day at Sandringham, although this is their first joint engagement together.
A Royal Foundation spokesperson said: “We are delighted to welcome Meghan to the Foundation. She has always shown great drive and compassion for making a difference in the world, and we are excited to embark on important projects together.”
Taking to the stage at the event to deliver his opening address, Prince William said that he was “particularly happy” to welcome Meghan to the fold.
The Duke continued and thanked his parents, The Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales as well as his grandparents, The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh for showing him the importance of putting “compassion and duty” first.
He said: “Both our parents had provided for us an example of diligence, compassion and duty in all they did. Our grandparents, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, have made support for charity central to their decades of service to the nation and The Commonwealth.”
According to their mission statement: “The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry is the Patrons’ primary charitable vehicle, and hopes to become a leading philanthropic investor, effectively using its time and resources to create lasting change in targeted areas and geographies, based on need and on the interests of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.”
Originally founded as ‘The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry’ the organisation received charitable status on 8 October 2009. On 29 September 2011, the Duchess of Cambridge became a formal Patron alongside the princes and the name was changed to ‘The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry’ in July 2012.
Early priorities of The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry have focussed on the areas which are of greatest interest and investment to the royal trio and which fit within the four arms of the organisation – Armed Forces, Young People, Conservation and Mental Health.
You can read more about the foundation by clicking here.
