Meghan Markle was spotted out in public for the very first time since news of her and her husband Prince Harry’s decision to “step back” as senior members of the Royal family was announced on social media last week.
The Duchess of Sussex visited a women’s center in Vancouver, according to a Facebook photo, after it was reported that she was in Canada.
“Look who we had tea with today! The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, visited us today to discuss issues affecting women in the community,” the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre said in a post on their Facebook page.
Markle can be seen in the photo, standing among a smiling group of women.
The appearance comes after the couple announced their decision to step back from much of their royal duties, which also changes how the couple will be financed. They will no longer receive money from the Queen.
In a statement shared on Instagram, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they had reflected on the decision for “many months” and chose “to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution.”
“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen,” the statement continued. “It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.”
After releasing their big news, the Duchess flew back to Canada while Prince Harry stayed in the U.K. to sort out details of their new arrangement with his grandmother Queen Elizabeth, father Prince Charles and brother Prince William.
The royal’s visit also comes after news that the Duchess nabbed her first job since their decision to become financially independent. The U.K. newspaper The Times claims that Markle is set to do voiceover work for a forthcoming Disney project. Instead of receiving a salary, the company would donate to conservation charity, Elephants Without Borders.
ESSENCE reached out to Disney for comment, but didn’t hear back.