Happy 38th birthday Meghan Markle! What's ahead for the Duchess of Sussex
Fresh off her history-making stint as guest editor of the September issue of British Vogue, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is celebrating her 38th birthday.
This is the second birthday for Meghan as a member of Britain's royal family and her first as a mom.
On the couple's Instagram account, Prince Harry shared a happy birthday message to his "amazing wife" to celebrate.
"Happy Birthday to my amazing wife. Thank you for joining me on this adventure!’ - Love, H," the post read.
The duchess, who is expected to mark her birthday privately, gave birth to Archie, her son with Prince Harry, in May.
Archie’s birth was undoubtedly a high point of a whirlwind 37th year for Meghan that saw her mark a series of firsts.
The duchess announced her first four royal patronages, focusing on women, education, animal welfare and the arts. She and Harry also took a whirlwind tour of New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Tonga, attending around 70 engagements over 16 days.
The couple also moved to Frogmore Cottage and Meghan took on a new role supporting women as vice president of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust, of which Queen Elizabeth is patron and Prince Harry is president.
While the past year was a big one for Meghan, her 38th year is shaping up to be just as monumental.
Here are some major moments to watch from Duchess Meghan.
A trip to Africa
Meghan and Harry will visit South Africa this fall on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, according to Buckingham Palace.
The couple is expected to bring Archie, who could be anywhere from four to six months old on the trip, making him one of the youngest royals to travel on an official trip overseas.
A fashion collection
Meghan partnered with fashion insiders on a capsule collection of "workwear essentials" that will be available this fall.
The fashion line will benefit Smart Works, a U.K. charity for women for which Meghan is patron.
For each item purchased from the collection, one item will be shared with a woman at Smart Works, Meghan revealed in the September issue of British Vogue.
High-profile charity work
Meghan's work with British Vogue put a spotlight on causes she cares about and it's likely that spotlight will grow even brighter over the coming year.
Her work with the magazine was inspired by Smart Works, the women-focused charity for which Meghan is patron.
Meghan is also patron of the National Theatre, the Association of Commonwealth Universities and Mayhew, an animal welfare organization.
Royal watchers can expect more patronages to be announced and a willingness by Meghan to think outside of the box in order to draw attention to issues.
A growing family?
There is also always the possibility that Meghan and Harry may choose to grow their family and give Archie a sibling.
Harry told conservationist Jane Goodall that he and Meghan would have "two [kids], maximum" in an effort to preserve the environment.
Harry is one of two children in his family and Meghan grew up primarily as an only child.
