How do Duchess Kate and Meghan Markle's royal 'firsts' compare?

January 10, 2019

Prince William's wife Duchess Kate is a British beauty whose royal husband was her university sweetheart, and Meghan Markle is a stunning Hollywood actress who met her fiancé Prince Harry on a blind date and got engaged after a whirlwind romance. What the two do have in common, however – other than their similar fashion, of course – is that they have both taken the path from commoner to royal, and all the high-profile rites of passage that that entails.

From their first time stepping into the spotlight with their royal partners to their walkabout debuts, the two have shared the experience of a number of exciting, royal events that are all part of becoming a "princess". How were their public moments alike or different? Scroll through to see how Meghan and Kate's royal 'firsts' compare.

Words: Sydney Narvaez

Photos: © Getty Images

Their first patronages

The Duchesses of Sussex and Cambridge received their first royal patronages eight and nine months after their respective wedding days – and they had a few similarities!

On Jan. 10, four of Duchess Meghan's patronages were announced – two from the Queen herself, the National Theatre and The Association of Commonwealth UNiversity, and two others, including Smart Works and Mayhew, a grassroots charity to improve the lives of animals. To commemorate the announcement, the pregnant royal paid a visit to Smart Works to help style some of the program's beneficiaries.

On Jan. 5, 2012, nine months after Duchess Kate said "I do" to Prince William, her own four patronages – The Royal Foundation, The National Portrait Gallery, The Art Room, Action on Addiction, as well as becoming a volunteer at the Scout Association – were announced to the public. Kate's first patronage outing was a visit to the National Portrait Gallery for a private viewing of an exhibition of work by the late artist Lucian Freud.

While the two have different patronages, of course, it's clear that many of their passions align – especially when it comes to the arts and advocating on behalf of the less fortunate.

Photo: © Getty Images

<h2>THE FIRST... SOLO PROJECT AS A ROYAL</h2>
Unlike her sister-in-law Meghan, who worked on a charity cookbook project prior to announcing her patronages, Kate revealed four organizations she'd be supporting as patron nine months after her royal wedding. Reflecting her interest in children and the arts, which she studied in university, these were: East Anglia's Children's Hospices, Action on Addiction, the Art Room and the National Portrait Gallery. With adoring fans lining the streets outside, the Duchess of Cambridge stepped out for her first official outing to see the Lucian Freud Portraits exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, where she chatted with curator Sarah Howgate and director Sandy Nairne.
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

Four months after saying "I do" to Prince Harry, Meghan revealed her first solo charity project: A cookbook called <em>Together: Our Community Cookbook</em> that she worked on with women from the Hubb Community Kitchen, all of whom had been affected by the tragic Grenfell Towere fire. Penning the foreword for the publication, the duchess also hosted a beautiful tented luncheon to celebrate the book's launch on the grounds of Kensington Palace, where she wowed attendees by making a three-minute speech with no notes. The event hosted a mix of the multicultural women she worked with and their families, people from the Royal Foundation, Al-Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre and the publishing house.
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

<h2>THE FIRST... OVERSEAS TOUR</h2>
Two months after their spectacular royal wedding in 2011, the newly minted Duke and Duchess of Cambridge set off to charm their way through Canada on an nine-day tour. From a special Canada Day celebration in Ottawa and cooking classes in Montreal to a dragon boat race in PEI and a street hockey game in the Northwest Territories, the sweet newlyweds covered a lot of ground over the course of their visit. One of the cutest moments was when they donned matching white cowboy hats and their finest western outfits to attend the Calgary Stampede!
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

Meghan's first tour with new husband Prince Harry was a two-day visit to Dublin, Ireland in July 2018. The couple held hands as they visited local landmarks, like the Famine Memorial, spent time with the president and prime minister, attended a garden party with Irish stars like Catriona Balfe and even snuck in a romantic lunch at one of Dublin's best restaurants. The most viral moment by far was when an adorable little boy at Crokes Park touched the duchess's hair and her hubby pretended to scold him.
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

<h2>THE FIRST... TIME DISEMBARKING A PLANE ON TOUR</h2>
When Prince William and Kate touched down in Ottawa on June 30, 2011 for an nine-day tour, it was just two months after their royal wedding. The newlyweds looked calm and collected as they departed the plane, holding the railing to ensure a smooth exit. This was the duchess's first time disembarking a private plane while on tour and she made a wonderful first impression in a pretty lace dress with nude accessories and her hair pulled half up so it wasn't covering her eyes.
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

Meghan also had a smooth exit from her first tour plane on July 10, 2018, two months after she wed Prince Harry - though the sixth-in-line to the throne and his wife were only on a quick two-day visit to Ireland. Unlike Kate's small clutch on arrival in Canada, Meghan carried a large Strathberry tote with her green Givenchy ensemble - which paid homage to the Emerald Isle - and pulled all of her hair back into a sleek bun.
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

<h2>THE FIRST... ROYAL ASCOT</h2>
The Duchess of Cambridge made her debut at the horse race five years after marrying Prince William. Though she was invited every year since their April 2011 nuptials, she politely declined until 2016, when she stepped out in a lace Dolce & Gabbana dress. She, along with the Duke of Cambridge, presented a trophy on the second day of the races.
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

On their one-month anniversary, Meghan Markle joined her husband at the Royal Ascot 2018. The Duchess of Sussex stunned in a white Givenchy shirtdress for the occasion and helped present the winning jockey Frankie Dettori his trophy. Meghan complemented her look with a fascinator by royal favorite Philip Treacy.
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

<h2>THE FIRST... SOLO TRIP WITH GRANDMOTHER-IN-LAW THE QUEEN</h2>
It was nearly a year after William and Kate's royal wedding that the Duchess of Cambridge embarked on a visit that gave her some one-on-one time with Queen Elizabeth. On March 8, 2012, the Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge travelled to Leicester, England, marking the first date of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee tour of the UK.
<p>Photo: © Oli Scarff - WPA Pool / Getty Images

On June 14, 2018 – less than a month after her royal wedding – Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex joined her new grandmother-in-law for their first trip together, to Cheshire, England. The royal pair attended a ceremony to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge and also visited The Storyhouse and Town Hall.
<p>Photo: © Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

<p>THE FIRST... TROOPING THE COLOUR</p>
The new Duchess of Cambridge attended her first Trooping the Colour in June 2011, nearly two months after her royal wedding with Prince William. Wearing her wedding dress designer, Alexander McQueen, Kate rode to the Palace with stepmother-in-law the Duchess of Cornwall (inset), and on the balcony stood far to the Queen's right, with husband William and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

Unlike sister-in-law Kate for her 2011 debut, the Duchess of Sussex stood in the centre of the Buckingham Palace balcony – although a row behind the Queen – next to husband Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cornwall in 2018. Meghan and Harry had ridden together in the same carriage during the parade (inset).
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

<h2>THE FIRST... MOMENTS AS A ROYAL</h2>
Both Kate, left, and Meghan had their moments in the sun as they emerged from their royal wedding ceremonies with their Princes as husband and wife. Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, wore Alexander McQueen for her Westminster Abbey wedding on April 29, 2011. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, in Claire Waight Keller for Givenchy, was just as elegant for her big day at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018.
<p>Photos: © CARL DE SOUZA, BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

<h2>THE FIRST... PRE-WEDDING APPEARANCE WITH THE MOTHER-OF-THE BRIDE</h2>
The night before she wed Prince William, Kate Middleton arrived with two very important people, her mother Carole and sister Pippa, at the Goring Hotel in London. All three women wore spring jackets, with both Carole and Kate opting for cream and black ensembles.
<p>Photo: © George Pimentel/WireImage

On her wedding eve, Meghan Markle arrived at Cliveden House in the village of Taplow near Windsor wearing coordinated tailored neutrals with her mother, Doria Ragland. When asked how she was feeling, the future bride told the press, "Wonderful, thank you."
<p>Photo: © STEVE PARSONS/AFP/Getty Images

<h2>THE FIRST... OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENT WITH BOTH WILLIAM AND HARRY</h2>
<p>On February 28, 2018, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle made their first official engagement as a foursome at the first annual Royal Foundation Forum. The event was themed 'Making a Difference Together', designed to showcase programs run by The Royal Foundation, including causes close to the young royals' hearts, such as Heads Together and the Invictus Games.</p>
<p>Photo: © CHRIS JACKSON/AFP/Getty Images</p>

<h2>THE FIRST... COMMONWEALTH DAY OUTING</h2>
<p>Commonwealth Day, the largest annual inter-faith gathering in the UK, is held every year to celebrate the Queen's lifetime commitment to the Commonwealth as Head of its 53 countries. Kate and her husband Prince William first attended the service with the royal family in 2015. The Duchess wore a pale pink Alexander McQueen coat, paired with a Jane Taylor hat. </p>
<p>Photo: © Chris Jackson/ Getty Images</p>

<p>Meghan joined the royal family at Westminster Abbey in March 2018 for Queen Elizabeth's annual Commonwealth Day service. It was the princess-to-be's first royal engagement with the Queen, and she wore a dress and coat by Amanda Wakeley, accessorized with a hat by Stephen Jones.</p>
<p>Photo: © DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images</p>

<h2>THE FIRST... ROYAL CHRISTMAS</h2>
<p>Kate Middleton spent her first royal Christmas at Sandringham in 2011. She stunned in a burgundy coat by an independent British designer, a velvet hat by designer Jane Corbett, a clutch bag by Mulberry, and suede Mascaro pumps.</p>
<p>Photo: © Chris Jackson/Getty Images</p>

<h2>THE FIRST... ROYAL WALKABOUT</h2>
<p>What comes along with that first royal offical public engagement with your Prince? Your first meet and greet with the flag-waving public! Both Kate and Meghan took on their roles with a natural charm, the future Duchess, top, in Wales, and Prince Harry's bride-to-be in Nottingham, bottom.</p>
<p>Photos: © Getty Images</p>

<h2>THE FIRST... PRE-WEDDING JOINT APPEARANCE</h2>
<p>Prince William and the Duchess-to-be showed they would make for a powerhouse couple at their first official post-engagement appearance, which took place in Anglesey, an island off the northwest coast of Wales. The couple took part in a lifeboat dedication ceremony at Trearddur Bay, where Kate poured a bottle of champagne over the vessel for the inauguration.</p>
<p>Photo: © PHIL NOBLE/AFP/Getty Images</p>

<p>A few days after their engagement announcement, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their first official joint visit in Nottingham, UK on December 1, 2017. The two spent the day celebrating World AIDS Day and visiting youth and mentors at the Full Effect Program. The Prince and the actress were met by huge crowds, including royal watchers and press, who came to the city to catch a glimpse of the happy couple. Under her navy blue Mackage coat, Meghan styled a classic black shirt by Wolford, a stylish nude midi skirt by Joseph, and black tall boots.</p>
<p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>

<h2>THE FIRST... CHANCE TO SHOW OFF HER ENGAGEMENT RING</h2>
<p>Prince William and Kate, who wore a now-iconic blue Issa dress, announced their engagement at Clarence House on November 16, 2010. The Duke of Cambridge revealed he proposed with his late mother Princess Diana's sapphire and diamond ring while the couple were on vacation together in Kenya.</p>
<p>Photo: © Chris Jackson/Getty Images</p>

<h2>THE FIRST... PUBLIC APPEARANCE AT HER PRINCE'S SIDE</h2>
<p>Although they were first pictured together in the stands of a rugby match in 2003, and the future Duchess supported her Prince at his Sandhurst ceremony, it wasn't until April 2008 that Kate made her first public appearance at William's side in the role of royal girlfriend. The young brunette accompanied the Prince as he received his RAF pilot wings from his father Prince Charles at a ceremony in Cranwell. The couple had been dating since they were students at the University of St Andrews, but this moment is considered a key turning point, showing the world the seriousness of the relationship.</p>
<p>Photo: © POOL/ Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images</p>

<p>In September 2017, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their first public appearance as a couple at the Invictus Games in Toronto. The city was the perfect location for Meghan's debut because she was living there as she shot her TV show <em>Suits</em>.</p>
<p>Photo: © Karwai Tang/WireImage</p>

<h2>THE FIRST... 'FACE IN THE CROWD' MOMENT</h2>
<p>In 2006, it was the moment Prince William's girlfriend Kate Middleton could openly show her support for him in one of the most important stages of his life. The future royal took her place in the stands with her mother Carole and father Michael at the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as cadet Prince William was inspected by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.</p>
<p>Photo: © Pool/Anwar Hussein Collection/Getty Images</p>