Meghan Markle Just Made Her Official Post-Baby Debut At This Event For The Queen
Just five weeks after introducing baby Archie to the world, Meghan Markle is stepping into the public eye once again for an official celebration. Meghan Markle's first official post-baby outing on Saturday, June 8 was in honor of Trooping of the Colour, and at the annual event, it definitely looked like motherhood agrees with the Duchess of Sussex.
Fans of the Royal Family might remember that Markle made her first appearance along with baby Archie and Prince Harry at St. George's Hall in Windsor Castle on May 8, just two days after welcoming their bundle of joy. It's a tradition for royal couples to introduce their newborns to the public in this way (Princess Diana and Prince Charles did it, as did Kate Middleton and Prince William), and while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex followed suit, the new mom-of-one has since stayed out of the spotlight. While Prince Harry — who isn't taking paternity leave — has made brief appearances in Rome and the Netherlands, Saturday, June 8 marked Markle's official return to royal business post-baby with an outing at the Trooping of the Colour.
The annual festivities, which celebrate the birth of the Queen with a parade, hold special meaning for the former Suits star. Last year, Markle memorably made her debut on the balcony at Buckingham Palace just weeks after her highly-publicized wedding to Prince Harry. As a new royal, Markle's every move was scrutinized at the event, which is basically a yearly celebration of the monarch's birthday and her longtime reign.
This year, the Duchess of Sussex showed how far she'd come in a year as she confidently sat across from sister-in-law Kate Middleton, Camilla, and her husband, Prince Harry.
Wearing a navy blue dress by designer Clare Waight Keller and a hat with a feather adornment by Noel Stewart, per People, the mom-of-one definitely looked like motherhood is agreeing with her as she beamed at the crowd. She later joined her fellow royals on the balcony of Buckingham Palace once again.
Markle isn't the only one bathing in that new parent glow, as the couple is apparently in a state of "sheer delight" over Archie's arrival, according to Johnny Hornby. The Chairman of Sentebale is currently working with the royals on the charity, which aims to support orphans and kids displaced by AIDS and HIV in Lesotho, Africa.
In a May 24 interview with People, Hornby recounted how Prince Harry's friend Nacho Figueras described the new father.
"Nacho met little Archie last week and said that the Duke couldn’t take his eyes off of him — nor his hands," Hornby told the publication. "The two of them are just in a state of sheer delight over this birth."
Meanwhile, his friend and former Invictus Games competitor JJ Chalmers told People, "Like any father, he lights up when he speaks about his son and how proud he is of his wife. I can see the buzzing smile on his face still."
Knowing this couple, it's likely that Markle will be heading back to her maternity leave and out of the public eye once the event is over, so I'd savor this brief (but very welcome) appearance while you can.
