'She's totally at ease': Meghan Markle stuns in navy coat on first royal engagement with Prince Harry

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are carrying out their first official public engagement as a couple in Nottingham today (1 December).

Markle, 36, got a taste of life as a senior member of the British Royal family as she greeted hundreds of well-wishers that lined the streets.

The LA-born Suits star took to her first royal engagement like a duck to water as she chatted and spent time with some of the British public shortly upon arriving at Nottingham Contemporary, wrapping up in a chic long navy coat by Mackage styled with cosy warm boots with a mid-heel.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams saw the couple on their walkabout, and told IBTimesUK: "She's totally at ease, I've just watched the walkabout. This sort of exposure, which some will find daunting is what she is experienced at and this is also a reason why they have begun engagements so soon."

Prince Harry – who also braved the cold elements in a smart navy coat with a cream scarf – felt confident in his fiancée Ms Markle to leave her to her own devices, chatting with onlookers on his own.

The couple – who announced their engagement on Monday (27 November) after a whirlwind 16-month romance – will visit a Terrence Higgins Trust World Aids Day charity fair where they will meet representatives from charities. Continuing the late Diana, Princess of Wales' legacy, they will also meet people living with HIV and Aids on World Aids Day.

The cause was especially close to Diana's heart, who was hailed for breaking prejudiced attitudes towards HIV and Aids.

Markle, who is already an accomplished humanitarian, is set to give up her role in the UN once she marries Harry and becomes a British citizen, and plans to become a global charity campaigner.

The actress was heard thanking people upon receiving congratulations about her engagement along with flowers and chocolates. She showed no hint of nervousness and looked every inch the royal with her natural make-up and Kate Middleton-style blow dry.

Underneath her military style coat, she appeared to be wearing a black rollneck sweater and a cream maxi skirt, while sporting a two-tone leather bag, embracing winter fashion the British way.

The leather-trimmed coat Markle wears is from a US brand called Mackage, which was launched by Eran Elfassy and Elisa Dahan in 1999. While they have stored in New York and Montreal, Markle is likely to have purchased the coat in her former hometown of Toronto, Canada, where she lived while working on paralegal drama Suits.

Further commenting on their first royal engagement, Fitzwilliams added: "This is the climax of an amazing week for the monarchy and we see the official beginnings of a partnership which is likely to prove one of the most influential in the history of the monarchy.

"She already has a fine record for humanitarian activism. When she joins the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and of Prince Harry, it will be one of the world's most powerful charitable institutions with a huge global reach."

Fitzwilliams notes that Markle's popularity will only help with her humanitarian work.

He continued: Meghan's work for gender equality and for World Vision Canada and her profile with a million followers on Instagram has been remarkable. She sees considerable opportunity in the change from actress to senior royal, as Harry said in that memorable interview.

"Diana is his inspiration and it is no coincidence that with her work for HIV 30 years ago so influential, this is World AIDS Day so this visit links with her remarkable legacy," he added.