Meghan Markle is put at ease by Harry before curtsying

Meghan Markle is put at ease by Harry before curtsying

All her red carpet experience had not prepared Meghan Markle for anything like this.

And understandably on her debut alongside the Royal Family at Sandringham yesterday, there were a few nerves.

Miss Markle's smile as she waited for the Queen depart from church, hanging on for dear life to Prince Harry's arm, was more of a rictus grin.

Ahead of the curtsy, both the Duke of Cambridge and her fiance, Prince Harry, gave her words of encouragement, which she listened to with a smile. 

And her curtsy to the monarch was, to be frank, more of a wobbly bob.

Alongside her, the Duchess of Cambridge showed how it should be done. Kate, now a veteran of such occasions, maintained a relaxed smile and as she executed the perfect curtsy.

Correctly done, it involves placing the right foot behind the left and bending briefly at the knees while keeping the upper body straight

Meanwhile Miss Markle went back to clutching her fiance's arm as if her very existence depended on it.

The brief wobble aside, the US actress put on an assured performance as she looks to cement her place in the new 'fab four' - two royal couples set to make the monarchy relevant to a new generation.  

 Certainly Harry and his glamorous fiancée made a fetching sight alongside the Cambridges.

Harry, 33, and Meghan, 36, are spending Christmas with William and Kate, both 35, at Anmer Hall, their mansion on the Queen's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

Instead of staying up at the 'big house' with Her Majesty, the two couples are enjoying a much more low-key family Christmas, along with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, just joining the rest of the royals for Church and lunch on Christmas Day.

For Kate, who is pregnant with her third child, it makes it a much more manageable festive season, allowing her a chance to re-charge and relax before April's patter of tiny feet.

For Miss Markle, who describes herself as a 'chilled' LA girl it is an opportunity to wet her feet in the ways of the Royal Family without all of the formality and fuss.

But make no mistake, this is also a sign of the future.

William, Kate and Harry have long made clear that they will do things their way, which has sometimes brought them into conflict with other members of the family 'firm', including Prince Charles.

The feeling among royal watchers is that the four of them will make a formidable team.  

William and Kate, by nature and position more formal and reserved, alongside Harry and Meghan, the glamorous new 'rock stars' of royalty, are set to take the Windsor dynasty into the second half of the century.

And judging by the body language on show yesterday, they seem to get on famously.

William and Kate even held hands in public as they walked to church, alongside Harry and Meghan, who seem unable to keep their hands off each other.

Meghan was elegant in a wide collar, camel wrap coat by Canadian luxury brand Sentaler as she made her appearance with the Royal Family on Christmas Day.

Her coat tapered in around the waist and flared out at the hem for the St Mary Magdalene Church Christmas service.

Matching her camel coat with a chestnut-brown felt hat, Meghan wore a pair of coordinating £630 Stuart Weitzman's Hiline high-heeled suede boots.

Meghan and the Queen met privately with Harry before their engagement was announced but had not been seen together by others until today.

After her curtsy to the Queen, Harry led Meghan to a wheelchair-ridden well-wisher who had waited in the cold to wish the couple a Merry Christmas.  

The pair then accepted bouquets from fans as they walked back to Sandringham House.

Meghan, with her first curtsy behind her and a day of formal festivities ahead, seemed to loosen up as she greeted and accepted gifts from well-wishers.

Kate, who is pregnant with her third child and showed off a small baby bump beneath a striking £2,655 tartan Miu Miu coat.

She completed her look with a £900 round handbag in brown leather and caramel suede with a gold coloured handle made by Chloe, while a pair of Maison Birk diamond earrings added a touch of sparkle to Ms Markle's classy ensemble.

They are the same £3,500 Snowflake design earrings she wore to her Buckingham Palace dinner last week.

It is thought her brown hat may be a Jane Taylor piece, a milliner popular with Kate.

It is the first time Meghan and Kate have been pictured together since Meghan and Prince Harry revealed their impending nuptials. 

The Queen arrived at the service later by car wearing an eye-popping orange jacket with a matching intricate floral hat.

She completed her look with a £900 round handbag in brown leather and caramel suede with a gold coloured handle made by Chloe, while a pair of Maison Birk diamond earrings added a touch of sparkle to Ms Markle's classy ensemble.

They are the same £3,500 Snowflake design earrings she wore to her Buckingha