Following her visit to the Core Coach Awards on Monday afternoon, the Duchess of Sussex has made her first solo royal engagement at the opening of the Oceania exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts.
Last night, the duchess arrived at the London landmark wearing a black long-sleeved Givenchy dress - which featured sheer panels, a calf-length skirt, billowy sleeves and a darker panel on the torso. She accessorised the demure look with slingback Aquazzura pumps, a Givenchy satin clutch with jewellery clasp (you can buy similar here), and Birks Snowflake snowstorm diamond earrings in white gold.
Several royal fans were quick to notice that as the duchess stepped out of the car, she shut her own door behind her upon meeting one of the event's hosts, instead of allowing a member of her staff to do it, as per usual royal protocol.
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She also did this last week at her first official palace luncheon in celebration of Together: Our Community Cookbook.
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Kensington Palace previously tweeted: 'The Duchess will view exhibits from regions including New Zealand, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga and Australia, which she and The Duke of Sussex will visit in October.'
During her visit Markle was guided around the Academy's exhibition which features over 500 years of historic works, art pieces, and artefacts.
The event couldn't have come at a more perfect time for Markle, who will be touring Australia next month with Prince Harry. Throughout the course of the evening, the 37-year-old viewed artwork from several regions including New Zealand, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga and Australia.
During the evening, the royal even performed a hongi - a Maori nose rubbing greeting - with several of her hosts, including New Zealand’s high commissioner Sir Jerry Mateparae and his wife Janine.
However, this wasn't her first hongi, having first performed the greeting at a a dawn service on Anzac Day in London to commemorate the end of the Australian and New Zealand war.
Markle's choice of Givenchy for her first solo outing comes four months after she wore a custom-made wedding gown made by the French fashion house's creative director, Clare Waight Keller.
She also wore pieces from the brand for her first visit to Royal Ascot, her first solo engagement with the Queen, a green skirt ensemble in Dublin, and a black suit later on in her trip to Ireland.
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