The royal family were snapped arriving at Buckingham
Palace today for the Queen's Christmas lunch
The annual celebration is a royal tradition and
allows the monarch to catch up with extended family
members
Prince Harry was accompanied by his glamorous
fiancée Meghan Markle as he swept up to the
gates
Queen took unusual step of inviting Meghan to
join royal Christmas celebrations before the couple
wed
Meghan Markle passed her first major test as a
member of the Royal Family yesterday - by pulling
a cracker with future father-in-law, Prince Charles,
donning a paper hat and reading out a corny
joke.
Prince Harry's fiancé was a guest at the Queen's
annual Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, where
she was introduced to almost every member of the
monarch's extended family.
According to an insider, she appeared slightly
nervous initially but soon began to dazzle, with
relatives queuing up to meet the prince's glamorous
bride-to-be for the first time.
Fortunately for the US-born actress - who will
no doubt attend her inaugural state banquet next
year - these lunches are designed to be fun, not
formal.
'Everyone wanted to meet Meghan and welcome her
to the family and she didn't disappoint,' they
told the Mail.
'She was obviously a bit nervous at first but
she soon relaxed with Prince Harry 's help as
he introduced her to everyone and then she really
enjoyed it.
'Harry was clearly very happy and very proud of
her and everyone thought she was delightful
It was your typical Christmas lunch in spite of
who was there - turkey, crackers...the lot
'
The actress has followed in the footsteps of the
Duchess of Cambridge - who made the guest list
for the first time in 2010, as Prince William's
then fiancée - in securing an invitation to the
event ahead of her marriage to Prince Harry next
May.
However, unlike Kate, Meghan will also join her
husband-to-be at the Queen's Sandringham Estate
on December 25th - an unprecedented step for someone
who is yet to become an official member of the
royal family
...NOW GET ONE LIKE IT
The Duchess of Cambridge did not spend Christmas
at Sandringham until she and William were man
and wife
Although Harry's immediate family has already
had the chance to get to know his bride-to-be,
Meghan met much of the extended clan for the first
time today at the Queen's Christmas get-together
A cherished royal tradition, the lunch at the
palace provides the monarch with the opportunity
to spend time with those relatives who don't join
her at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on the
25th, as well as close members of the family
And it seems that Meghan's debut, which comes
after she wowed crowds when she joined Prince
Harry on a public walkabout in Nottingham following
their engagement announcement, was a success -
with the 36-year-old unable to wipe the smile
from her face as she left the palace at around
3.30pm.
The actress was pictured smiling and flashing
her dazzling engagement ring as her fiance drove
her back to their home at Kensington Palace following
the festive lunch
Also at the lunch today were the Duke and Duchess
of Cambridge and their children, who will travel
to Norfolk for further celebrations, as were Prince
Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.
For the likes of the Queen's cousin Prince Michael
of Kent, or his son Lord Frederick Windsor, today's
lunch could well have been their first meeting
with their new - and already most famous - family
member.
Today marked the start of the whirlwind of events
that will make up Meghan's first royal Christmas,
which will also see her join her soon-to-be in-laws
as they walk to the Christmas Day church service
on the Sandringham Estate, and being hosted by
the monarch for a turkey lunch
On Wednesday Meghan was whisked to the palace
by her Prince, who drove them to the event in
a Land Rover Discovery
The bride-to-be opted for a £300 high necked lace
dress from Self-Portrait for the festive lunch,
accessorised with a pair of diamond drop
earrings
Among the first to arrive at the Palace were the
Cambridges, with Prince William driving, pregnant
Kate in the passenger seat, and George and Charlotte
in the back with their nanny, Maria Borrallo
And the nanny is invited too! Kate and William
arrive at the Palace with trusted aide Maria Borrallo
- as she takes care of George and Charlotte in
the back seat
Maria Borrallo has been employed in the royal
household since 2014 when the Duke and Duchess
of Cambridge first recruited her to look after
Prince George.
Three years on, the Spanish nanny sat in the back
of Prince William and Kate's royal car as they
arrived at the Palace this afternoon for their
seasonal lunch
With Prince George, 4, clearly seen sitting on
his booster seat, it's assumed Princess Charlotte,
2, was just out of view in the vehicle's
rear.
Ms Borrallo has been a regular fixture at major
royal events and has also travelled 
