Back to the grind! Prince Harry and Meghan make first royal appearance of 2020

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have taken some time out of the limelight in recent weeks, swapping their royal duties for quality time with the duchess’ mother Doria Ragland and their baby son Archie Harrison over the festive period.

However the holiday is now over and the royal couple returned to work on Tuesday as they made their first public appearance of the new decade at Canada House in London, having just returned from a private family holiday in the Commonwealth country.

Prince Harry and Meghan were all smiles yesterday as they stepped out together for the first time since the Festival of Remembrance in November, and the new mum looked gorgeous in a chic ensemble in varying shades of brown and bronze.

Meghan opted for a silk midi skirt which fell to her shins for the outing, which she paired with a classic brown turtle neck jumper and a pair of suede bronze stilettos. She rounded off the look with a beige overcoat, which she was seen carrying over her arm despite the chilly British winter weather.

The duchess wore her dark locks down in her signature wavy style and kept her make-up natural, with a hint of colour on her lips, meanwhile Prince Harry looked smart in a navy blue suit with a crisp white shirt and blue patterned tie.

During the official outing the couple met with High Commissioner Janice Charette and Deputy High Commissioner Sarah Fountain Smith, to whom they thanked for the support and hospitality they received during their recent trip to the country. The couple also spent time meeting royal supporters who had gathered outside of the venue to catch a glimpse of the royals.

Writing on their official Instagram page following Tuesday’s outing, a spokesperson for Sussex Royal said: “Today, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited Canada House in London to thank the High Commissioner Janice Charette and staff for the warm hospitality during their recent stay in Canada.

“The Duke and Duchess have a strong connection to Canada. It’s a country The Duke of Sussex has visited many times over the years and it was also home to The Duchess for seven years before she became a member of The Royal Family. Thank you Canada!”

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The duke and duchess opted to forego the traditional royal Christmas celebrations at Sandringham in favour of spending time with Meghan’s mother Doria and their eight-month-old son. The country is one close to Meghan’s heart as she previously lived there for seven years, whilst working on TV drama Suits, before becoming a member of the royal family.

At the time, Harry and Meghan’s decision to shun the Queen’s festivities triggered a backlash, however the Palace later released a statement to say that their actions were no different to those previously taken by other senior members of the royal family after welcoming children.

The statement read: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are looking forward to extended family time towards the end of this month. Having spent the last two Christmases at Sandringham, [the couple] will spend the holiday this year, as a new family, with the duchess’ mother, Doria.

“This decision is in line with precedent set previously by other members of the royal family, and has the support of Her Majesty The Queen.”

While the couple haven’t been seen in public for almost two months, they did release two never-before-seen pictures of Archie over the festive period to mark Christmas and New Year. The first was the image selected for the Sussexes official Christmas card, while the other showed Prince Harry sweetly cradling his son, presumably taken in Canada during their visit.