Meghan Markle Spotted For First Time Since 'Stepping Back' Announcement

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sent shockwaves through the Royal Family and the British public last week when they shared a surprise Instagram post telling their followers that they planned to take a step back from their roles as senior members of the Royal Family and work towards becoming financially independent, splitting their time between the UK and Canada.

Following the bombshell statement, Meghan flew out to Canada to be reunited with eight-month-old son Archie Harrison, with Harry expected to join her in due course. Whilst Meghan was expected to take part over the phone in the so-called ‘Sandringham summit’ between the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry, a royal aide has revealed that ‘The Sussexes decided that it wasn't necessary for the duchess to join.’

However, Meghan is certainly keeping busy, as on Tuesday she made a special visit to a women’s centre in Vancouver, Canada. The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre (DEWC) shared a photograph of Meghan and a group of its staff to its Facebook page on Tuesday evening, with the caption ‘Look who we had tea with today! The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, visited us today to discuss issues affecting women in the community.’

The DEWC describes itself as ‘one of the busiest women’s centres in the country, operating a low-barrier drop-in centre and emergency night shelter in the Downtown Eastside.’ Meghan’s visit is further proof of her ongoing commitment to championing causes supporting women – and this latest photo prompted many fans to compare her charitable endeavours to those of her late mother-in-law Princess Diana.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry is due to appear at what may well be his final engagement as a senior member of the Royal Family on Thursday, as he’s set to appear at Buckingham Palace for the official draw of next year’s Rugby League World Cup, which will be hosted by the UK. It is widely expected that Harry will then fly out to join Meghan and Archie in Canada.