Meghan Markle Receives Not One But Four Royal Patronages

Kensington Palace today released an official statement on Meghan Markle's first four royal patronages, given to her as the Queen begins to retire from public life and pass on more responsibilities to younger royals. The four charities the new princess will be working with are: the National Theatre, Smart Works Charity, the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), and Mayhew.

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Kensington Palace today released an official statement on Meghan Markle's first four royal patronages, given to her as the Queen begins to retire from public life and pass on more responsibilities to younger royals. The four charities the new princess will be working with are... drumroll... the National Theatre, Smart Works Charity, the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), and Mayhew! As reported by The Telegraph, Meghan "is understood to have paid numerous quiet visits to each of the charities already," and apparently she's planning one to Smart Works today! This one will be a surprise public outing—her first official royal engagement with Prince Harry is scheduled for January 14.

There were already some early reports that Meghan was set to take over London's National Theatre from the Queen, an intuitive pairing that's connected with Meghan's early days as an actor. The other three patronages are a happy surprise, although a few of Meghan's previous public outings gave us some hints. Hilarious, the National Theatre might have, uh, jumped the gun a tiny bit on its announcement, as first spotted by royal reporter Hannah Furness:

The four patronages are in line with what Meghan has said are important causes for her. Beyond the National Theatre, and its focus on creativity and artistic expression, Mayhew is an animal charity that focuses on the welfare of cats and dogs in particular. Smart Works helps unemployed women looking to find jobs by providing assistance with interview coaching and clothes they can wear—and we know the duchess loves her some fashion. The ACU focuses on higher education across England and beyond. Along with the National Theatre, it's a patronage the Queen is passing directly to Meghan. The duchess has already visited the association publicly, so this one makes sense too.

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According to a spokesperson from Kensington Palace, Meghan couldn't be more thrilled:

Clearly, pregnancy isn't slowing Meghan down, in keeping with her interest to work until she delivers. If the reports are true, we'll get some public outings to these charities before the mom-to-be goes on leave!

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.