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Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Just Surprised An Entire Nation With This Pre-Wedding Visit

by Caitlin Gallagher
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They have less than two months to go before their wedding, but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still making time for travel and their royal duties. On March 23, Prince Harry and Markle visited Northern Ireland in a surprise trip. The engaged couple has a pretty packed schedule in the capital of Belfast as they mix politics, culture, business, history, and fun. Yet, the public had no idea about this trip beforehand with the royal correspondent for The Sun, Emily Andrews, tweeting that Prince Harry and Markle's visit to Belfast was kept secret for "security reasons." As CNN noted, England — and in particular, the British royals — have had a historically strained relationship with Northern Ireland, but so far, Prince Harry and Markle's trip has been filled with goodwill.

Prince Harry and Markle's first stop was to an event celebrating the youth-led peace-building initiative Amazing the Space. As PEOPLE reported, Prince Harry launched this program in September 2017 when he took his first trip to Northern Ireland. It was also announced recently that Prince Harry will be working to attract a younger generation to the British Commonwealth in a new official role, so the Amazing the Space event was in line with this focus. A video captured by Andrews that she shared on Twitter highlights how excited everyone was during Prince Harry and Markle's surprise arrival.

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From there, the couple headed to the Crown Liquor Saloon. This Victorian gin palace dates back to 1826, so along with getting a dram from this famous Belfast pub, they'll also be able to admire the architecture. Prince Harry and Markle will then visit one of the biggest attractions in the city — Titanic Belfast, which is a museum dedicated to the ill-fated ship and is located where the Titanic was built.

Another stop on their trip is Catalyst Inc — Northern Ireland's "next generation science park" that is focused on building a "community of innovators" to grow the country's economy. And finally, the BBC reported that they are scheduled to make an appearance to the public on Great Victoria Street later in the day. With this Belfast visit, Harry and Markle have now toured all four U.K. nations — and they looked delighted to be in Northern Ireland.

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Beyond them living in England, their first official outing as an engaged couple was in December in Nottingham, England. Then, in January, Harry and Markle visited Cardiff, Wales. Most recently, they took a pre-Valentine's Day trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, where Markle rocked a very similar outfit as an adorable Shetland pony. So it's only fitting that the soon-to-be newlyweds wrapped up this U.K. tour in Ireland in March — the month of St. Patrick's Day.

As for other trips that they have taken, Harry explained in their first interview together how he "managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana" after only a few weeks of dating. Vanity Fair reported that they returned to the African nation shortly before their engagement as a way to celebrate Markle's birthday and their first anniversary. But while that was a romantic trip kept from the media's eye, this Northern Ireland visit is more official — but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.

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With their wedding on May 19, Markle appeared to be smitten with her royal fiancé in photos from the trip. And Markle's fashion sense was as on point as ever as she wore a Greta Constantine green skirt, red velvet Jimmy Choos, and a cream-colored sweater by Victoria Beckham. Markle has reportedly established a friendship with the most stylish of the Spice Girls.

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This trip to Northern Ireland may be the last for Harry and Markle before they are husband and wife, but there will be plenty of more royal engagements from the pair in the future. Plus, if you're worried you'll go through Prince Harry and Markle withdrawal, take comfort knowing that one of the most exciting royal events in history — their royal wedding — is just on the horizon.