DUCH OF CLASS
Meghan Markle cradles baby bump as she arrives in heels for debut as royal patron of National Theatre
HEAVILY pregnant Meghan Markle beamed with delight and cradled her baby bump as she arrived at the National Theatre this afternoon.
Wearing towering £440 Aquazzura heels, the Duchess of Sussex could barely contain her delight as she arrived for her “debut performance” as royal patron – having taken over from the Queen.
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It's believed the Duchess - who recently revealed she is around six months pregnant - wore the same 'Very Matilde' designer pumps for the debut as she donned during the engagement announcement with Prince Harry in November 2017.
Meghan was pictured in the towering pumps just days after a doctor told The Sun's Fabulous Online of the risks of wearing high heels in pregnancy - saying a "hard, straight" fall could put "a lot of pressure on her stomach which could damage the baby".
Kensington Palace have said today's visit will allow the former actress to "explore the organisation's work, and meet some of the talented teams and apprentices working behind the scenes".
During her visit, the Duchess watched as people from neighbourhoods across London took part in a workshop in a rehearsal space.
BACK TO HER ACTING ROOTS
She also met with members of the Pericle Public Acts Company as well as apprentices from the National Theatre.
Meghan also watched schoolchildren from Edith Neville Primary School in Camden perform War Horse during the engagement.
She was greeted by Rufus Norris, director of the National Theatre, who held a private meeting with her in December ahead of the patronage announcement earlier this month.
It's thought Meghan - best known for playing Rachel Zane in the hit US legal drama series Suits - has an affinity with the National Theatre after spending a decade working as an actress in television.
She studied theatre and international relations at Northwestern University, Illinois, and volunteered at a performing arts after-school programme for children in underprivileged school districts in Los Angeles.
Meghan, 37, is a strong believer in using the arts to bring people from different backgrounds and communities together - and her views chime with the National Theatre's ethos of producing world class theatre with the aim of being as inclusive, diverse and national as possible.
READ MORE IN NEWS
The 2017-18 season saw the National Theatre stage 19 productions at the South Bank, 10 across the UK, three in the West End and six internationally.
Its UK-wide learning and participation programme supports young people's creative education through performance and writing programmes like Connections, New Views and Let's Play.
The National Theatre extends its reach through digital programmes including NT Live, which broadcasts some of the best of British theatre to over 2,500 venues in 65 countries, and the free streaming service On Demand In Schools, used by nearly 60% of UK state secondary schools.
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