Meghan Markle makes radiant return to work following maternity leave with Archie – best photos

The Duchess of Sussex is known for her on-trend style, so who better to create the perfect working wardrobe than Meghan herself? On Thursday, Prince Harry's wife made an official return to work as she carried out her first solo engagement in London since giving birth to baby Archie in May. Meghan launched her capsule collection with Smart Works charity, called The Smart Set, on the rooftop of John Lewis. 

Meghan championed the British high street and beyond as she collaborated with leading fashion brands and designers – John Lewis & Partners, Marks & Spencer, Jigsaw and Misha Nonoo. For every item bought during the sale of the collection, which will last for at least two weeks, one will be donated to Smart Works.

The collection includes workwear essentials that are perfect for attending interviews or being in the workplace, including a crisp white shirt, an elegant blazer and an everyday tote. Take a look at the best photos from the launch...

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The new mum opted for a classic and clean look as she went back to work, wearing two pieces from her collection – Misha Nonoo's £125 white shirt and the £120 black Jigsaw trousers. She had her hair styled into loose waves and added height to her look with a pair of Jimmy Choo suede tan heels. The Duchess accessorised with a tan belt and gold bangles.

Meghan has bought all five pieces from the collection and will wear the other items during her and Prince Harry's upcoming visit to South Africa.

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The royal styled her hair in loose waves and kept her makeup natural.

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Meghan paid tribute to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana, by wearing her gold and diamond bangle with navy accents.

The Duchess also wore a pair of Diana's butterfly earrings.

She looked relaxed as she was ushered up to the store's sixth floor open-air terrace, where her collection was displayed. On her way to the engagement, she was told that the John Lewis tote had already sold out. "That's great," Meghan said.

A spokesperson for John Lewis & Partners said: "The first release of the Smart Set Tote has sold out online, with a second release coming shortly. However we have plenty of stock in our shops across the country." 

When Meghan met Jigsaw's chief executive Toby Foreman, he complimented her on the trousers saying: "They look fantastic." Meghan replied: "Thank you, they're comfortable."

Meghan gave an unscripted speech at the launch, saying: "I think it's really key in this day and age that we remember it's not just about the people you know you're supporting, it's about the people you don't know - that you may never know, may never meet.

"As women, it is 100% our responsibility, I think, to support and up-lift each other. To champion each other so we aim to succeed, to not set each other up for failure but instead to really be there rallying round each other and say 'I want to help you'.

"And you may not ever meet that person but you know when you put on that blazer or that shirt or you carry that tote or put on those trousers and that dress that some other woman on the other side of this country is wearing that piece because you made that purchase."

Meghan asked her close friend Misha Nonoo to contribute the perfect white shirt to the collection. Speaking afterwards, Misha said: "I said a wholehearted yes, not only because I trust everything that she does and her filter and her lens, particularly when it comes to charity and philanthropy, but also because I had heard about Smart Works and their mission. Our philosophies align very closely."

Asked about the process, Misha added of her royal friend: "She is certainly not a micro-manager. She trusts you to do your part. When I said to her this is what I'm thinking and sent her the outline, she said 'great, love it'. She was very, very trusting. She is the consummate professional and it was extraordinarily easy to collaborate on this project."

The final stop saw the Duchess introduced to six clients, young women who were keen to have their photographs taken with the royal visitor and share how the organisation had changed their lives. "I'm so proud of you all," Meghan said. "Shall we all take a picture?" 

Asking whether they supported one another, even after getting jobs, 28-year-old paralegal Selam Mengitsu told Meghan they had a shared WhatsApp group and invited her to join them. In a response Selam described as "very diplomatic", the Duchess said she had only just joined WhatsApp and might "pop in" with a waving hand emoji.

The Duchess became patron of Smart Works in January. The charity, which was created in September 2013, aims to help long-term unemployed and vulnerable women regain the confidence they need to succeed at job interviews, return to employment and transform their lives. Through her work with the charity, Meghan found that whilst donations to the charity were plentiful, they weren't always the right choices or sizes. She therefore decided to go one step further by launching the collection that also gives back to Smart Works clients.

Meghan said: "Since moving to the UK, it has been deeply important to me to meet with communities and organisations on the ground doing meaningful work and to try to do whatever I can to help them amplify their impact."

She added: "Thank you to the four brands who came together in supporting Smart Works on this special project – placing purpose over profit and community over competition. In convening several companies rather than one, we've demonstrated how we can work collectively to empower each other – another layer to this communal success story, that I am so proud to be a part of."

SHOP: Dress, £19.50, M&S & Trousers, £120, Jigsaw

The Smart Set collection will be available from Thursday for at least two weeks, in stores, online and in Smart Works Dressing Rooms. The pieces are available in a range of different sizes and colours and come with different price points, to make them as accessible and inclusive as possible. For every item bought, another will be given to Smart Works to help a woman get back into the workplace.

SHOP: Jacket, £199, Jigsaw, Trousers, £120, Jigsaw & Dress, £19.50, M&S

The collection comprises a £125 Smart Set Shirt by Misha Nonoo; a £19.50 Smart Set Dress by Marks & Spencer; a Smart Set Suit by Jigsaw made up of a £199 jacket and £120 trousers, and a £109 Smart Set Tote by John Lewis.

SHOP: Bag, £109, John Lewis

A closer look at the £109 tote by John Lewis that comes in black and tan, which has already sold out on the store's website.

The "generously-sized bag" has an open-top design with "plenty of room to fit whatever you need to get you through the working day". It has a large exterior slip pocket and two phone-sized slip pockets, one card slot and a zipped pocket inside, and two shoulder straps and a detachable and adjustable crossbody strap.

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The Duchess stayed at the event for just under an hour, before returning home to Windsor, saying "I've got to get back to the baby, it's feed time."