Meghan Markle cements status as a 'global leader' in Vanity Fair shoot with Emma Watson

She's a TV actress turned campaigner, and now Meghan Markle is cementing her status as a future royal and humanitarian by featuring in the April issue of Vanity Fair.

The 35-year-old Suits star appears alongside Emma Watson, Cher and Canadian President Justin Trudeau in the forthcoming edition of the glossy magazine for a photoshoot of the "global leaders" who attended the One Young World Summit in Ottawa in October 2016.

Markle spoke at the event, along with the other famous faces, and previously wrote about her affiliation with the organisation in a 2014 piece for her lifestyle website, The Tig. She said: "When I was asked to be a counsellor at One Young World last month in Dublin, my response was a resounding "yes."'

She expressed her desire to be "the greater good" and have a positive change on the world, adding: "OYW invites young adults from all over the world who are actively working to transform the socio-political landscape by being the greater good."

The new pictures, obtained by MailOnline, feature the new generation of global influencers shot by critically acclaimed American photographer Jason Schmidt. The accompanying article is written by Pakistani poet and writer Fatima Bhutto.

One image sees Markle wearing a white dress with nude heels as she stands next to former Ireland president Mary Robinson, Bhutto and women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul in a picturesque area of Ottawa. Markle is standing some distance from the other three women, nearing the water's edge.

The 2016 One Young World Summit was opened by Trudeau and saw the launch of the Emma Watson Scholarship, which recognised outstanding work in advancing gender equality around the globe.

The Harry Potter star spoken of an "unstoppable current" in the wider feminist movement's fight for gender equality during her speech at the event. She then called nine activists onto the stage who are the first recipients of a scholarship scheme she has created to challenge gender stereotypes "from the ground up".

The not-for-profit organisation's aim is to gather young leaders from around the world to develop solutions to the world's most pressing issues.

Markle was previously assigned one specific delegate called Luwam Estifanos, a young woman from Eritrea, described as the North Korea of Africa.

One Young World Co-Founder, Kate Robertson said she is grateful to have Markle on board. She commented: "One Young World is honoured to be featured in such an august publication working with the amazing creative talent Jason Schmidt and the unique voice of Fatima Bhutto.

"From countering violent extremism to campaigning for gender equality, One Young World Ambassadors are fearlessly taking on the world's biggest challenges and we hope that this calls attention to the remarkable work young leaders are doing.

"We are grateful for the support of Meghan Markle, Emma Watson, Justin Trudeau and all of the other Counsellors who took part."