Prince Harry, fiance Meghan Markle make 1st official joint tour

Chanting "Harry, Harry!" and "Meghan, Meghan," hundreds of people lined the streets of a central English city Friday to welcome Britain's Prince Harry and his American fiance, actress Meghan Markle.

The couple's visit to Nottingham was their first official commitment since they announced their engagement on Monday. They plan to tour Britain over the next six months to give Markle an opportunity to learn about the country before their May wedding in the chapel at Windsor Castle.

Watch the Passionate Eye's new one-hour special, Prince Harry & Meghan: Truly Madly Deeply, which airs Saturday, Dec.2, 2017, at 10 p.m. ET/PT and Sunday, Dec.3, 2017, at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Markle smiled and looked confident as she basked in the adoration of the crowd. Some fans carried British and American flags.

Prince Harry, Meghan make 1st appearance as a royal couple

7 years ago

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at Nottingham Contemporary to begin their first royal tour

A few were lucky enough to see the engagement ring up close as Markle shook hands. Harry faced the banks of smartphones, all smiles and ease with the attention.

But the ring was old news for British commentators, who instead focused on her handbag a Strathberry tri-colour leather tote designed in Scotland and handcrafted in Spain. Markle, who was living in Toronto while filmingSuits, continued to represent Canadian fashion in a long navy coat by Montreal's Mackage. Markle wore Toronto's Line the Label for the couple's engagement photo shoot earlier this week.

At one point, Marklepicked up a glove that a woman in the crowd had dropped and handed it back to her. The crowd responded with appreciative cries of "How sweet!"

Queen Elizabeth's grandsonHarry, currently fifth in line to the throne, and Markle, best known for her leading role in U.S. legal dramaSuits, announced their engagement on Monday, have ignited atransatlanticmedia frenzy since their engagement was announced.

They are to be married in May in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, the family home of British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years.

On Friday, the couple travelled to the east Midlands in England to visit to a youth project andraise awareness of HIV/AIDS. Their fans followed, including Irene Hardman, 81, who brought a gift bag with fridge magnets and candy for Markle.

Hardman wept with joy after handing the bag to the bride-to-be.

"I cried she's wonderful, and it's fantastic," Hardman said. "They're so genuine."

Harry a prominent campaigner

The trip was Harry's third to Nottingham since October 2016. He has long championed AIDS charities, following in the footsteps of his late mother,Diana, the Princess of Wales.

She opened Britain's first HIV/AIDS unit in London in 1987 and famously shook hands with and kissed an AIDS patient during a hospital visit.

Friday's World AIDS Day event was held by the Terence Higgins Trust to remember lives lost to HIV and mark the progressmade fighting the illness.

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Afterwards, the couple visited Nottingham Academy to meet headteachers from local schools to hear about the Full Effect program initiativesupported by the charity of Harry and his elder brother,Prince William, and William's wife Kate. The programlooks to sway children from becoming involved in youth violence.

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle tour World AIDS Day charity fair

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The prince and his fiance shake hands and take in exhibits at Terrence Higgins Trust

Markle, who has been a humanitarian campaigner for a number of causes, including work as a UN women's advocate, is to give up her previous charity roles as she begins life in the Royal Family, Harry's spokespersonsaid on Tuesday.

I always thought I'd marry Harry, but you can't win them all,- Holly Burdett, royal watcher

She was also keen to travel around Britain to get to know the country that will become her home, the spokesperson added, as she intends to become a British citizen. It is notyet known if she will retain her American citizenship.

Holly Burdett, who is originally from West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, but now lives in Sydney, Australia, returned home on the "gamble" that the couple would announce their engagement while she was there.

"I always thought I'd marry Harry, but you can't win them all," Burdett joked. "As long as they're happy, that's all that matters."