Meghan Markle is giving back! On Thursday, Jan. 10, Kensington Palace announced that the Duchess of Sussex has become the patron of four organizations near and dear to her heart.

“The Duchess of Sussex will become Patron of four organizations that reflect the causes and issues with which she has long been associated including the arts, access to education, support for women, and animal welfare,” the Twitter announcement read. Sweetly enough, two of the patronages were passed on to Meghan by her grandmother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth.

Meghan-Markle
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Meghan’s first patronage will be with The National Theatre. Meghan — a former actress on the hit USA show Suits — clearly has an interest in art, and plans to make the theater community more “inclusive, diverse, and national.”

Her second one is with The Association of Commonwealth Universities, an organization that represents higher education in all 53 Commonwealth countries. In the past, Meghan has been extremely vocal about the importance of education.

Meg’s third patronage includes Smart Works, which “helps long-term unemployed and vulnerable women regain the skills, confidence, and tools to succeed at job interviews, return to employment and transform their lives.” She visited Smart Works on Wednesday, Jan. 10 — and showed off her growing baby bump while there!

Lastly, Meghan will be a patron of Mayhew, which works to “improve the lives of animals and people to better communities both in London and internationally.” So sweet!

During Meghan’s first official engagement interview with Harry, she admitted that she wasn’t sad to give up acting and kick off her charity work. “I don’t see it as giving anything up. I just see it as a change,” she said in November 2017. “It’s a new chapter, right? And also, keep in mind, I’ve been working on [Suits] for seven years. We were very, very fortunate to have that sort of longevity on a series,” she explained, adding, “I’ve ticked this box, and I feel very proud of the work I’ve done there, and now it’s time to work with [Harry] as a team.”

She added, “I think what’s been really exciting as we talk about the transition out of my career and into my role is the causes that are really important to me that I can focus even more energy on. Very early out of the gate, I think you realize you have access or a voice that people are willing to listen and with that comes a lot of responsibility, which I take seriously.” We can’t wait to see all the amazing things Meghan will do!

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