Prince Harry and Meghan Markle thrill crowds at first royal outing

Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle arrive at the Terrence Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair, in Nottingham, England. Photo / AP

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enjoyed the warmest of welcomes on their first royal engagement together as a couple today with well-wishers declaring: "We love him - she's beautiful".

They were greeted by more than a thousand cheering people in Nottingham, eager for a glimpse of the couple who announced their engagement on Monday, Daily Mail reported.

People were chanting their names and Meghan responded to kind messages with 'thank you' and 'I really appreciate that'. The star kept resting her hand on her fiance's back in a repeated loving and reassuring gesture.

The prince and the actress immediately undertook a traditional royal walkabout, plunging into the crowds to shake hands and collect bouquets and cards of congratulation. It lasted more than 30 minutes. A young woman dropped a glove and Meghan picked it up and handed it back to her.

The couple spent long periods speaking to people who congratulated them on their engagement with the prince handing out high fives to youngsters who came to see them.

Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle arrive at the Terrence Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair, in Nottingham. Photo / AP

Ms Markle was wrapped up in a long dark blue coat by Mackage, and boots. She was also without gloves, so her engagement ring was on display, and carried a handbag - something the Duchess of Cambridge rarely does.

At points during the walkabout, Ms Markle put a reassuring hand on Harry's back and she was given a bunch of cream coloured flowers.

With no private secretary yet, she had to hold the flowers and her handbag in the same hand but carried on greeting well-wishers. A little while later one of Harry's aide took the blooms from her.

The former actress soon left her fiancee's side and walked to the other side of the road to greet hundreds of fans who were crowded behind crash barriers.

She brushed her long hair from her face and smiled broadly as she shook hand after hand.

Frank Shelton, 79, brought his barn owl Kim to meet Harry, joking: "He's brought his bird, so I've brought mine."

Mr Shelton, from Carlton, Nottinghamshire, who had had his eight-year-old bird of prey since she was a chick, added: "Harry and William are something special. I'm really happy for them."

Meghan Markle, left, fiancee of Britain's Prince Harry, is greeted by well-wishers as she arrives at the Nottingham Contemporary Centre. Photo / AP

Aimee Vincent, 24, also from Nottingham, said she had watched the couple's engagement interview and couldn't believe how 'loved up' they looked.

Phillipa Stark, 31, was with her daughter Savannah, four.

She said: "Harry really has put Nottingham on the map. We love the royal family and they look so genuinely happy together."

Her friend, Sarah Deverill, 32, with eight-month-old Henry, added: "It very exciting that they have chosen here to come to. They look so happy together."

Harry specifically chose to introduce his wife-to-be to public life in Nottingham as it is a city that is close to his heart.

In recent years he has spent a great deal of time working with youth groups, both publicly and in private.

His spokesman said the prince was "looking forward" to introducing his fiancé to a community "that has become very special to him".

"Prince Harry is very much looking forward to the first place that she visits as his wife-to-be [which] is going to be a city he cares a lot about and has spent a lot of time in over the last few years. It's going to be a really lovely way to start [their life public life together]," he said.

After the walkabout, Harry, 33, and Meghan, 36, will attend a Terrance Higgins Trust World AIDS day charity fair at the Nottingham Contemporary, followed by a visit to Nottingham Academy where they will learn more about the work being done with young people in the area.

Meghan Markle, fiancee of Britain's Prince Harry, arrives at the Contemporary Centre for a Terrence Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair in Nottingham. Photo / AP

They will even get to watch a performance of a 'hip hop opera'.

While three-hours of hand-shaking and smiling on your first day at work would be a daunting prospect to many, Miss Markle's assured public appearances so far suggest she will take the day in her stride.

From the moment their engagement was announced on Monday, the actress has made clear that she wants to make a difference.

Today's visit, less than two weeks after she arrived from Canada to live with Harry in London, will herald what Kensington Palace has described as an intensive six month 'tour' of the UK, in order to get to know her adopted country, its communities and its people.

Unlike the Duchess of Cambridge who, while undertaking a small number of engagements before and after her wedding to Prince William in 2011, made clear that she wanted to concentrate on being a military wife with him on Anglesey for the first year of married life, Meghan said in her official engagement interview on Monday: "Now being boots on the ground in the UK I'm excited to just really get to know more about the different communities here, smaller organisations who are working on the same causes that I've always been passionate about….and also being able to go round the Commonwealth, I think it's just the beginning."

She has long championed a number of her own charitable causes, including World Vision Canada, and UN Women, which she is now 'regretfully' giving up.

Kensington Palace said she had made clear she wanted to start her life with the Queen's grandson in Britain 'with a clean slate' and devote herself to the issues that matter in the UK, a decision Harry has supported her in.

Her first formal charity role will be as the fourth patron of William, Kate and Harry's own charity, The Royal Foundation, which enables the young royals to align themselves with groups working in areas such as young people, mental health, conservation and the military.

She and Harry are also, the Mail understands, are also being earmarked to head up the new Queen's Commonwealth Trust charity, which is in the early stages of being established.

The charity will be formally launched in 2018 in the lead up to the Commonwealth Summit in April. A spokesman said this week that the Commonwealth was a 'big priority' for the couple.

Aides say that Miss Markle does not plan to take on any charities of her own yet, but confirmed that will, inevitably, develop in time.

Her go-getting attitude and determination to 'hit the ground running', is certainly being seen as a break of fresh air in royal circles.

Crowds gather, outside the Nottingham Contemporary, ahead of a visit by Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle to a Terrence Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair, in Nottingham. Photo / AP

A royal spokesman said: "Miss Markle is incredibly grateful for the opportunities she has had with World Vision Canada and with UN women. She has through those organisations had the chance to meet incredible organisations right around the world, people doing great grassroots work.

"But she has made the decision that she wants to start with a clean slate and focus on the UK and getting to know this country, travelling around the Commonwealth, and so the only role she will begin her royal life with is the Royal Foundation and that has been a decision that she has taken.

"Miss Markle has talked in the past about the issues she cares about and I am sure that those themes will continue in the future.

"But she has been very clear with us that her priority is getting around this country, learning about communities right around the UK and any particular themes she will pick up I'll leave her to talk about in her own time."

He added: "The priority for her is the UK. Getting around the country and meeting those working at a grass roots level.

"She wants to spend this time learning about the UK. This is the country that is going to be her home now and she wants to spent time in the UK getting to know its towns and cities and smaller communities and that is what she is going to be doing.

"Prince Harry will still carry out a full programme of engagements, but she will join him from time to time. We are looking forward to building a programme for the two of them around the country."