LONDON — The former Meghan Markle made her first joint appearance with Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, taking a special royal train to events in northwestern England.

The queen and the Duchess of Sussex, as Markle is now known, joined the rest of Britain in observing a minute of silence at midday to honor the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire on the one-year anniversary of the deadly London blaze.

Aside from that somber moment, the day was filled with smiles and cheers as the 92-year-old monarch and 36-year-old former actress paired up.

They wore contrasting colors, the duchess choosing a cream Givenchy pencil dress and the queen in a lime green coat-dress and matching hat. The duchess was also wearing diamond-and-pearl earrings that were a gift from the queen.

The queen seemed comfortable in the company of Britain’s newest senior royal, and the two shared a few smiles on their first traveling engagement together.

Their first stop featured a performance by local schoolchildren in the town of Widnes, near Liverpool. It was followed by events including the unveiling of a plaque to officially open the Mersey Gateway Bridge.