As the Duchess of Sussex and official patron of the Royal Foundation, Meghan Markle already has a lot of responsibility under her belt as the newest member of the Royal Family.
However, the 37-year-old may be gearing up to prepare for her biggest role to date, according to a royal expert.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold has told the Express that as sister-in-law to Prince William, Meghan will be expected to support him when he one day becomes King.
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'She will take on duties on behalf of the monarch as we see the Royals do today for the Queen,' he explained.
'Both royal duchesses have important roles to fulfil,' Grant added, referring to Kate Middleton and Markle.
'I imagine we will see more of the Duchess of Cambridge as she prepares for her future role as Queen.'
The former actress has already flexed her muscles while fulfilling her royal duties since announcing her engagement to Prince Harry last November. Earlier this year, she joined Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as a patron of The Royal Foundation.
Speaking at the Royal Foundation Forum with her in-laws back in February, the Duchess said she was ready to 'hit the ground running' with the charity, which works in areas including the Armed Forces, young people and conservation.
She said: 'Even if it's doing it quietly behind the scenes, which is what I've focused my energy on thus far... meeting with the right people, meeting with the organisations behind the scenes quietly, learning as much as I can so I can maximise the opportunity we have here to really make an impact.'
Markle has also attended engagements as part of the the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London and regularly attends official visits on behalf of the monarchy, so far to the likes of Ireland and Scotland.
Earlier this week, the Duchess reportedly 'politely turned down' an invitation to the 70th Emmy Awards ceremony in LA next month, signalling she has well and truly drawn a line in the sand between her acting and royal careers.
A source told the Sun: 'Show executives and NBC had offered Harry and her an invitation to celebrate with the biggest stars around, meet her showbiz friends and even present an honour. But Meghan is not attending.'
The 37-year-old left her role as Rachel Zane in Suits last year and addressed her decision to step away from her acting career during her engagement announcement interview with her now-husband last November.
'I don't see it as giving anything up, I just see it as a change,' she said.
Speaking of the seven years spent filming the legal show in Toronto, Canada, Markle said she felt 'very fortunate'.
'So we're very, very fortunate to be able to have that sort of longevity on a series,' she added.
We can't wait to see what's in store for Meghan in the future.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
