Meghan Markle joins royal family for Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace

Prince Harry's fiancée Meghan Markle joined the royal family for a pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace.

The couple were greeted by a cheering crowd as they arrived for the traditional family lunch hosted by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh before the monarch and her husband leave to spend Christmas at Sandringham.

Ms Markle will be among the royal guests at Sandringham, the Queen's private estate in Norfolk, for Christmas.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Princess Charlotte and Prince George. Credit: PA

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were also at the lunch, arriving with their two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte as well as their nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall were also invited as were Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. They were expected to be joined by a number of other minor members of the royal family including the Duke and Duchess of Kent.

Ms Markle will join the royal party at Sandringham for Christmas. Credit: PA

Prince Harry and Ms Markle got engaged on 27 November and will be married on 19 May at Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel - the same day as the FA Cup Final.