Before attending the Commonwealth Day Service with the rest of the British royal family on Monday, Meghan Markle bid her royal life a farewell by participating in her final solo engagement- a private visit with students from 11 Commonwealth countries, in her role as the Patron of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU).
For the engagement, the duchess opted for a navy blue dress with cap sleeves and a tie around the neck, which she paired with pointy-toed shoes. The 38-year-old wore her hair in a sleek low ponytail, kept her makeup light, and also carried a matching clutch.
After the engagement, the former American actress had to say goodbye to the 15 staffers of her and Prince Harry’s Buckingham Palace office, which they had to shut down after quitting as a working royals.
The 30-minute meeting held at the Buckingham Palace before lunchtime was attended by 22 scholars from across the Commonwealth countries. After finishing the meeting, Meghan bid an emotional farewell to some of her staff before joining the royal family at Westminster Abbey, reports Harper’s Bazaar.
“For a couple who only ever wanted to focus on their work and bring good to the world, it seems like an unnecessarily cruel ending to their royal lives. Forced to give up roles they’re incredibly proud of after sacrificing so much to get there,” royal editor Omid Scobie wrote for the outlet.
Scobie further narrated the emotional interaction between Meghan and her staff that took place after the ACU scholars left the room. “At this point, the 1844 Room is almost empty and tears that the duchess had been bravely holding back are free to flow among familiar faces.
As she embraces some of the loyal staff she will most likely not see again, I can’t help but feel sad for the dedicated team members whose tireless efforts—to promote the couple’s work, launch landmark projects, and deal with the near-daily crisis brought on by tabloid lies—have come to an abrupt end,” Scobie wrote.
While Meghan has left for Canada to reunite with her son Archie, Prince Harry has stayed behind in Britain to finish some last royal engagements. The couple will cease to be working royals by the end of this month.