Queen shows love for Meghan with touching personal gift

She’s only been part of the royal family for a few weeks, but it seems Meghan Markle has already formed a close bond with the Queen.

The newly minted Duchess of Sussex stepped out with the head of the royal family for their first official engagement together on Thursday and enjoyed an action-packed tour of Chester in the north of England.

While the Queen looked lovely in a bright-green coat and hat, Meghan opted for a more subdued cream dress by Givenchy – the same design house that created her show-stopping wedding gown.

It was the duchess’ accessories though that really captured attention, in particular her small pearl earrings that were gifted to her by the Queen.

The Sun’s royal correspondent Emily Andrews said the Palace had confirmed the delicate earrings had been given to Meghan by the Queen, and while the Monarch regularly loans out items from the royal jewellery collection to members of the family, the personal gift is the latest in a series of touching gestures that display the Queen’s affection for her grandson’s new bride.

Buckingham Palace say Meghan #DuchessofSussex’s new pearl earrings are a gift from the Queen. (And not Birks as they’re claiming!). pic.twitter.com/fLJcIoZtGt

— Emily Andrews (@byEmilyAndrews) June 14, 2018

Appearing to have learned from the family’s mistakes of the past, the Queen has already broken with tradition on a number of occasions to help Meghan feel welcomed into the family. Last year, she invited the American former actress to spend Christmas with the royals at Sandringham, an honour not even afforded to the Duchess of Cambridge before she married Prince William.

Read more: Queen and Meghan are like joyful ‘gal pals’ on first official outing together

Meghan was also invited to meet senior members of the royal family early on in her relationship with Prince Harry, and was protected by the Palace when members of her own family went to the press trying to sell their story and stir controversy in the days leading up to the couple’s wedding.

The surprising display of public affection for the duchess is thought in large part to be because of the Queen’s fondness for Prince Harry, with whom she shares a particularly close bond.

Both Harry and William have spoken in the past about how their grandmother cared for them in the years following their mother’s death and how those formative years bonded them for life.

It seems that love and affection for her grandsons has carried through to their wives as well – a lovely thing to see in a family that has seen plenty of heartbreak throughout its history.

Are you glad to see the Queen welcoming Meghan into the family? Do you think the new duchess is fitting in well to royal life?