Queen Elizabeth II officially welcomed Meghan Markle into the royal family during her annual Christmas Day message, just hours after the duchess-to-be was spotted with fiancé Prince Harry, Prince William and a pregnant Kate Middleton attending church service. Markle, who got engaged to Harry in early November, was all smiles during her first public appearance with the queen and members of the royal family. She was spotted walking next to Middleton as she held Harry’s arm while arriving at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham for traditional Christmas service on Monday. Thousands of people gathered outside the church to get a glimpse of the royal family, a larger crowd than previous years possibly because of Markle’s attendance -- it was her first Christmas with the family. Markle joining the royal family during Christmas was unusual because new members are usually invited to holiday events only after they are married, according to the Telegraph.

Source: Fox News December 25, 2017 12:23 UTC