Prince Harry makes first joint visit with fiance Meghan Markle

LONDON: Britain's Prince Harry today made his first joint royal visit with Meghan Markle to mark the World AIDS Day in the city of Nottingham, days after he announced his engagement with the American actress girlfriend.

The couple plan to spend the day at a World AIDS Day charity fair organised by the Terrence Higgins Trust and then meet Headteachers of a local school, Nottingham Academy.

An official announcement on November 27 said that the 33 -year-old Harry had got engaged earlier this month and that he had informed Queen Elizabeth II of his intention to marry Markle.

"Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle are in Nottingham for their first official visit together since announcing their engagement," Kensington Palace said in a statement.

The couple undertook a long walkabout to meet royal fans, who shouted their congratulations and offered flowers and chocolates.

They visited National Justice Museum and Nottingham Contemporary before making their way to Nottingham Academy, where Harry had a little dance as they learnt about the Full Effect programme, which helps prevent young people from turning to violence and crime.

Dominic Edwards, from the Terrence Higgins Trust, said the charity was "thrilled" that the couple had chosen to visit Nottingham.

"I think it really underlines his great support for HIV as a cause," Edwards said.

Prince Harry has spent time in Nottingham both publicly and privately since he first met young people there in 2013, when he was exploring issues around youth violence.

A year later, he established the Full Effect programme, which aims to stop youth violence in the city in the Midlands region of England.

Harry's communication's secretary Jason Knauf said the prince was looking forward to introducing his 36-year-old bride-to-be to a community that had "become very special to him".

He added that the 36-year-old Markle, best known for her role as Rachel Zane in the legal drama 'Suits', "could not wait" to meet people she had heard so much about.

The couple are due for a May 2018 wedding at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, with the exact date yet to be announced.

In the lead up to the wedding, Markle would not be continuing her work as an actress or on gender with the United Nations and other organisations and instead would start new charity work as a full-time royal.

She plans to focus her attention on the UK and Commonwealth.

"This is the country that's going to be her home now and that means travelling around, getting to know the towns and cities and smaller communities," their spokesperson said.

She will also become the fourth patron of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

The foundation is behind Prince Harry's Invictus Games - the Paralympic-style competition for injured servicemen and women and veterans - and also the mental health charity Heads Together.

It has also been announced that Markle intends to become a British citizen and will work towards it in the coming years.