Prince William, Kate Middleton along with the Wessexes host reception at Buckingham Palace

Soon after Queen Elizabeth II announced the decision about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's exit, the royal family is back to work. Kate Middleton and Prince William hosted a lavish reception on behalf of the monarch at Buckingham Palace in the event of the UK-Africa Investment Summit.

The Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge were joined by Earl and Countess of Wessex and Princess Anne in welcoming the ambassadors for the summit being held in London. Meanwhile, the queen remained absent as she is still at Sandringham.

Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Edward, and his wife Sophie, and Princess Anne met and interacted with the Head of States and Governments, who were accompanied by their partners. Later, they all came together for a group photograph.

The grand reception comes after the UK-Africa Summit on Monday morning by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Many businesses, governments, and international institutions with interest and potential of investment opportunities across the globe took part in the event. It aimed to strengthen UK and Africa's partnership and to boost mutual prosperity.

According to Hello, the Duke of Cambridge welcomed the guests including the head of states and ministers from 21 nations of the African continent, with a warm speech. During the speech, he passed on the queen's regard to everyone and dished out the details about his proposal to his wife Catherine (Kate). William revealed that he asked her to marry him in an African country, Kenya.

"My grandmother is sorry not to be here this evening, but she has asked me to pass on her warmest wishes to you all. The African continent holds a very special place in my heart. It is the place my father took my brother and me shortly after our mother died. And when deciding where best to propose to Catherine, I could think of no more fitting place than Kenya to get down on one knee."

He continued to talk about his association with Africa, passionately.

"Throughout my life, I have been lucky enough to spend time in many other parts of Africa. I'm also honoured to be the Patron of the Royal African Society. And as Catherine and I have said to several of you here tonight, we hope to have the chance to visit many more countries in the future and share our mutual love of your continent with our children."

Meanwhile, Kate dazzled in a glamorous red sequinned ankle-length dress by Needle and Threads. As for William, he looked dapper in his classic black suit and a colour-coordinated red tie.

Sophie was dressed in a scarlet dress and it was her birthday too. Anne chose to keep it classy in a navy skirt paired with a chequered black and white shirt. Prince Harry, who is believed to have taken off to Canada the same afternoon, performed his final royal duties as the Duke of Sussex and met with leaders from Morocco, Malawi, Mozambique, and more. He even had a private meeting with the Boris Johnson before leaving the UK.