Meghan Markle visits Vancouver shelter for women and children

A local shelter for women and children in downtown Vancouver had a royal visitor Tuesday.

Meghan Markle stopped by the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and joined staff for a cup of tea.

The Duchess of Sussex sat down with the centre’s employees to discuss issues affecting women in the community.

The women’s centre provides support to over 500 women, children and seniors every day. It assists women with their immediate and crisis needs so they can develop stability and access the resources they need to improve health, family, employment and housing situations.

A post on the organization’s Facebook page features a photograph of Markle and eight other women with the caption, “Look who we had tea with today! The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, visited us today to discuss issues affecting women in the community.”

It’s the first time Markle has been seen since returning to Canada after it was announced that she and Prince Harry would be stepping back from royal duties and spend half the year in Canada.

The pair reportedly spent the holidays at a secluded beachfront villa in North Saanich, near Victoria, where they were seen exploring the community.

On Monday, the Queen issued a statement saying she would have preferred the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to remain full-time working members of the Royal Family but respects and understands their wish to live a more independent life as a family.

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