Meghan Markle Made a Surprise Appearance at Queen Elizabeth’s Staff Christmas Party

Imagine being a little worse for wear at your festive, office Christmas party, about to do something you regret or order an expensive Uber home, and a future member of the royal family walks through the door and introduces herself to you. That’s what happened to staff celebrating at Queen Elizabeth‘s Windsor Castle Christmas party earlier this week, where Meghan Markle (and her husband-to-be Prince Harry) joined the festivities, completely taking the other guests by surprise.

According to the Daily Mail, “It was definitely a surprise to all those attended. And those that did meet her were absolutely blown away by her elegance and confidence. She’s gone down well with the staff, that’s for certain!” One partygoer revealed that, “[Meghan] was unbelievably beautiful and Harry looked so proud,” and that she “held out her hand and said, ‘Hi, I’m Meghan,’ to introduce herself to several members of the Queen’s staff.”

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

The news comes as it was revealed that the royal family is breaking with protocol to have Meghan at Sandringham this Christmas, a first for a royal fiancée. The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, for example, was not invited to spend Christmas with the Queen until she and Prince William were married. “Now that [Harry and Meghan] are engaged, it was unthinkable they would be apart for Christmas. The royal family have fully welcomed Meghan into the fold,” a friend of Harry’s told The Express. According to royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, Christmas at Sandringham will serve as the ultimate training for Meghan as she prepares to become a full-time royal.

The news of Meghan’s total acceptance by the royal family also comes a few weeks after the former Suits actress‘ first official royal appearance in Nottinghamshire, England alongside her future husband, where well-wishers were impressed by her charm and confidence, as well as her beauty.

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This post was written by Rebecca Cope. It originally appeared on our sister site, Grazia Daily.