Meghan & Kate's First Solo Outings As Royals Were SO Different, But It Makes Sense Why

When you first venture into a new aspect of your life, it can be pretty daunting. But I imagine that doesn't even begin to describe the feelings that the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex must have had when embarking on their first solo duties as members of the royal family. Thanks to my royal curiosity — and the announcement of Meghan Markle's first completely solo outing — this got me wondering; how do Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton's first solo commitments compare to one another?

Well, while both duchesses had completely different ventures, they both embarked their lives as working royals in a similar way. Before their first solo commitments as royals, the Duchesses embarked on engagements with the Queen a few months after their royal weddings. Middleton's visit to a public exhibition of her wedding dress with the Queen — and Prince Philip — was three months after she wed Prince William in 2011, according to Town and Country. Meanwhile, Markle's "away day with the Queen at Chester" occurred less than a month after she tied the knot earlier this year.

Another three months passed for Kate until her first solo commitment. This saw the Duchess step in for her father-in-law the Prince of Wales during a "private dinner in aid of In Kind Direct — one of his charities — at Clarence House," The Telegraph reported.

In comparison, Kensington Palace announced via Twitter that Markle's first solo engagement will take place on Sept. 25. Like Middleton, her first appearance on her own will take place three months after her outing with the Queen.

Unlike Middleton, Markle's first solo engagement will not see her filling in for another member of the royal family or attend a charity event. Instead, the Duchess of Sussex will be attending the opening of an exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts titled Oceania, which marks "250 years since Cook's first voyage to the Pacific," and will "celebrate the dazzling and diverse art of the region of Oceania, from the historic to the contemporary," as described via the Royal Academy's website.

This solo commitment comes just a few weeks before Markle and Prince Harry are set to embark on their first official royal tour in October. Rather fittingly, this will include visits to the countries that are featured in the exhibit, such as Fiji and the Kingdom of Tonga.

In addition to her first solo engagement, Markle has undertaken her first solo project as a royal; on Thursday, she launched the Together: Our Community Cookbook from which all proceeds will go towards helping the families affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. The publication features more than 50 family recipes and is priced at £9.99. Markle is hoping that to sell 50,000 copies of the book to raise £250,000 for the amazing cause.

Markle attended the launch of the book with her mother Doria and husband Prince Harry, as reported by Harpers Bazaar. At the event, the trio were seen appreciating the delicious dishes featured in the book, including a large dish of green rice.

Yeah, totally not jealous at all.

In comparison, it may seem like Markle has acclimatised to royal life much quicker than Middleton originally did, but you've got to remember that Meghan "entered the royal family with a keen understanding of the press and an appreciation of PR and branding," as highlighted by Town and Country. So really, it does make total sense.

Either way, I think it's safe to say that both Markle and Middleton are absolutely slaying their royal duties.