Meghan Markle has had a trial by fire over the past year as she has learned the ins and outs of royal life. Now, things are about to get real for the Duchess of Sussex because she is about to take over some royal duties from Queen Elizabeth as the aging monarch looks to lighten her workload, according to the Daily Mail .
The 37-year-old actress met with the queen for tea at Buckingham Palace to discuss taking on some patronages, which is when a royal family member champions a charity or organization, as part of her growing role within the royal family. The role will allow Markle to provide publicity and raise funds for worthy causes within the country.
The 92-year-old queen has already handed off some of her patronages to her grandchildren and their spouses. In 2016, she announced that she would hand down 25 of the 600 patronages that she was involved in.
As part of that announcement, the queen made Prince William the patron of the Rugby Football Union and the Rugby Football League, while his wife Kate Middleton was made patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and Action for Children. The younger Prince Harry took over the patronage of the Football Association.
The queen’s grandchildren aren’t the only family members taking on new roles. Camilla Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall, was made patron of the Battersea Dogs Home, The Royal School of Needlework, and Barnardo’s. Prince Charles took on a role with the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.
There were no specifics about what causes she would work with, though there is some speculation that they will reflect Markle’s interest in the arts and in women’s causes. Right now, there are over 3,000 charities that have a royal family member as patron, so there are numerous options for the duchess. An official announcement will be made in February 2019, though Markle is expected to meet with her new charities and organizations sooner than that.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been the subject of intense scrutiny over the past few days as the couple decides what to do for the Christmas holidays. Kensington Palace recently announced that the pair would be spending the day at Sandringham with Kate Middleton, Prince William, and the queen.
Despite spending the holiday together, the couple will break one tradition, the Daily Mail reports. Because Markle champions animal causes and refuses to wear fur, Prince Harry will skip out on the annual Boxing Day pheasant shoot.
