Meghan Markle Opts For All Black At Her First Solo Engagement

The Duchess of Sussex seems to be acclimating to her new royal lifestyle the way she does most things — with the utmost style and poise. From the recent launch of her charity project cookbook, the announcement of her and Harry's official tour of Australia, and now her first solo engagement on Tues., she's pretty much nailing it when it comes to royalty. Meghan Markle's long-sleeve black dress proves that elegance and trendiness are definitely not mutually exclusive.

Meghan Markle stepped out for her first official royal engagement on Tues. since marrying her husband Prince Harry in May. While she hasn't shied away from the spotlight in past months, this is her first event without members of the royal family standing alongside her. Markle arrived at the opening of Oceania at The Royal Academy wearing a mid-length dress by Givenchy. The dress featured sheer, bouncy sleeves, a cinched, belted waist, opaque black accents, and a leg-baring slit. She paired it with pointed Aquazzura sling backs, a style of shoe she's relied on time and time again since becoming a royal.

Markle stuck to her infamous, low-key beauty routine with silky, blown-out hair, glowing skin, and her trusted nude lip color.

Unsurprisingly, Markle relied on two of her favorite designers for this major milestone in her royal career. As evident in her iconic wedding dress, Markle is a huge fan of Givenchy. Besides designing her simple-but-elegant wedding gown, Markle wore Givenchy twice during her and Prince Harry's official tour of Ireland in July (a two-piece skirt set, followed by a black, menswear-inspired suit).

The Duchess also seems to love Aquazzura, the Italian, luxury shoe designer she keeps in constant rotation. Markle even wore today's exact pair in June at Queen Elizabeth's Young Leaders Awards Ceremony. Markle also donned the brand during her famous engagement announcement, and she and her mother both wore Aquazzura heels on the day of the royal wedding.

Kensington Palace announced Markle's solo appearance last week in an official tweet.

The Oceania is a new exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Markle viewed artwork that spans over 500 years, from places like New Zealand, Australia, Tonga, and Fiji. It's no coincidence that Markle chose this specific opening as her first solo royal appearance, as she and Prince Harry are set to embark on their official tour of Australia in Oct.

Markle's royal sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, could have very well shared some insider advice when it comes to representing the royal family solo, although the two events were vastly different. The Duchess of Cambridge carried out her first royal engagement in October of 2011, when she attended a benefit dinner at Clarence House in place of her father-in-law, Prince Charles of Wales.

Middleton wore a floor-length evening gown featuring bejeweled straps, and a voluminous, half-up-half-down hairstyle.

Although Markle may have been on her own this time around, there's no doubt the members of her new family were cheering her on from the sidelines.