Prince Harry and Meghan Markle choose AIDS charity for first joint official visit

Prince Harry and his bride-to-be Meghan Markle have begun their first joint official public engagement in Nottingham, BBC reports.

Crowds cheered as the couple greeted well-wishers ahead of a visit to a World Aids Day charity fair hosted by the Terrence Higgins Trust.

They split up to talk to people lining both sides of their route and were given cards, flowers and chocolate.

The couple announced their engagement on Monday and are due to marry at Windsor Castle in May.

After the walkabout, Prince Harry and Ms Markle went to the Nottingham Contemporary Exhibition Centre for an event to mark World Aids Day.

Dominic Edwards, from the Terrence Higgins Trust, told the BBC the charity was "thrilled" the couple had chosen to visit Nottingham, and said: "I think it really underlines his great support for HIV as a cause."

Royal commentator Richard FitzWilliams, said this visit represented a link with the legacy of Princess Diana's influential work on HIV 30 years ago and was "no coincidence".

In mid-October prince Harry has paid tribute to his late mother's work in raising awareness of HIV and Aids, and urged more people to "embrace regular testing".

The prince was speaking at the Attitude magazine awards, where Princess Diana was posthumously honoured with the Legacy award, 20 years after her death. Prince Harry said if his mother were still alive, she would be "standing alongside" those living with HIV. The prince collected the award on Thursday night on her behalf.