Prince Harry and Meghan Markle begin first joint royal visit

Prince Harry and his bride-to-be Meghan Markle have begun their first joint official public engagement in Nottingham.

Crowds cheered as the couple greeted well-wishers ahead of a visit to a World Aids Day charity fair hosted by the Terrence Higgins Trust.

They split up to talk to people lining both sides of their route and were given cards, flowers and chocolate.

After the charity fair, they will meet head teachers at a nearby school.

The couple announced their engagement on Monday and are due to marry at Windsor Castle in May.

Live: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's first joint engagement

Dickie Arbiter, former royal spokesman, told the BBC the couple took their time to talk to as many people as possible on their 30-minute walkabout.

"It is important that they meet as many people as possible," he said.

"They (the crowds) are standing out there, they're cold, they've been waiting a long time, and the feeling is if they have waited for us, then we can spend as much time as possible with them."

One of the people Prince Harry stopped to speak to was Julie Ball, 51, of Netherfield, who said the prince had commented on her Santa gloves.

"He said 'great gloves' and pulled one down over my fingers," she said.

"I said they're from Primark for £3.

"When Meghan walked past she said the same thing. She said, 'We have the same taste.'"

Another member of the public shouted to Prince Harry: "How does it feel being a ginger with Meghan?"

"It's great isn't it?" The prince replied.

Prince Harry has spent time in Nottingham both publicly and privately since he first met young people there in 2013, when he was exploring issues around youth violence.

A year later, he established the Full Effect programme, which aims to stop youth violence in the city.

At Nottingham Academy, the couple will watch a "hip hopera" and meet students.

The prince's communication's secretary, Jason Knauf, said the prince was looking forward to introducing Ms Markle to a community that had "become very special to him".

He said Ms Markle could not wait to meet people she had heard so much about.

Well-wishers gathered in the city ahead of the visit to catch a glimpse of the couple, including Helena Bottomley, Zoe Scott and Carole Bingham, from East and West Bridgford.

Ms Scott said: "We love the royals. We are genuinely happy for Harry."

"We all had our children at the same time as Diana [Princess of Wales] so we feel a real allegiance. She would be so thrilled," said Ms Bottomley.

University of Nottingham students Raushana Nurzhubalina, from Kazakhstan, and Jenn Galandy, from Canada, set their alarms for 06:00 GMT to get a prime spot to try to see Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

"It is such an honour to see the royals," Ms Nurzhubalina said.

"I'm also a fan of Suits, so it is a chance to see a star of that too."

Royal fan Irene Hardman has a goody bag ready to hand over to the couple, including copies of the local paper and two fridge magnets "so they don't fight over it".

"We privileged they've chosen Nottingham to be their first official engagement," the 81-year-old said.

Dominic Edwards, from the Terrence Higgins Trust, told the BBC the charity was "thrilled" the couple had chosen to visit Nottingham, and said: "I think it really underlines his great support for HIV as a cause."

Royal Life magazine editor Allan Bryce said: "It was obvious she (Megan) would hit the ground running.

"Now she's got to get to know Britain, her adopted country."

On Tuesday, the couple's spokesman said Ms Markle would not be continuing her work on gender with the United Nations or with other organisations and instead would start new charity work as a full-time royal.

Mr Knauf said she planned to focus her attention on the UK and Commonwealth.

"This is the country that's going to be her home now and that means travelling around, getting to know the towns and cities and smaller communities," he said.

She will also become the fourth patron of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

The foundation is behind Prince Harry's Invictus Games - the Paralympic-style competition for injured servicemen and women and veterans - and also the mental health charity Heads Together.

It has also been announced that Ms Markle intends to become a British citizen and will work towards it in the coming years.

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