FORMER actress Meghan Markle married Prince Harry in Windsor on May 19, 2018, and the pair welcomed their baby boy into the world a year later.
Here is how the popular prince met the Suits star and eventually started a family together.
How did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle began dating in July 2016, according to news agency Reuters.
The BBC reports that after just two dates, the “already-smitten royal” decided to whisk the American actress off to Botswana – a country which has placed a central role in their fairytale romance.
The pair enjoyed five nights camping under the African stars, and Prince Harry later told the broadcaster he believed the “stars were aligned” when he met her.
During an interview with the BBC, prior to their wedding, they declined to name of a mutual friend who introduced them in July 2016.
But, Meghan said she “didn’t know much” about Prince Harry before they started dating.
It’s not clear how or when precisely Harry and Meghan first met but it’s thought the couple may have been introduced by Soho House director Markus Anderson at the Invictus Games.
Prior to their wedding, Piers Morgan told his followers that after he took Meghan to his local pub in 2016, the TV star went off for her first date with Prince Harry.
The Good Morning Britain presenter wasn’t invited to the couple’s nuptials, however.
- In late October 2016, it was reported that glamorous actress Meghan, who played Rachel Zane in legal drama Suits, was secretly dating Prince Harry. A close pal of the royal confirmed they had been dating for several months, in an interview with People.
- On November 8, 2016, Kensington Palace confirmed the pairing with a statement, saying the Prince was worried for her safety.
- On December 14, 2016, The Celeb Report published exclusive first pictures of Harry and Meghan – who is three years his senior – as they were spotted hand-in-hand, while out on a date in London. At the time, pals said actress Meghan had “virtually moved in” to Harry’s cottage at Kensington Palace with the couple having been “inseparable” for weeks.
- On May 6, 2017, Meghan made her first public appearance as royal girlfriend when she proudly watched Prince Harry playing polo in Berkshire.
- On September 25, 2017, the pair were pictured together in Toronto as they attended the Invictus Games, Prince Harry’s sporting competition for wounded service personnel.
- On October 1, 2017, during the games closing ceremony, the pair were spotted in an embrace and at one point the pair shared a kiss. It came as they sat in the stadium beside Meghan’s mum Doria.
- On October 19, 2017, it was reported Harry had taken Meghan to Buckingham Palace for a meal with his grandmother – Her Majesty the Queen.
- On November 14, 2017, speculation grew about Meghan’s exit from Suits when a source told Us Weekly her departure would be easier as co-star Patrick J. Adams had also decided it was time to leave. The insider said that Patrick’s exit storyline “will make it an easy break for Meghan to leave as well”.
- On November 26, 2017, it was reported Palace officials briefed PM Theresa May on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s “imminent” engagement.
- On November 27, 2017, it was announced that the couple were engaged to be married in spring 2018. After a photocall at Kensington Palace, they gave their first joint interview to the BBC.
- On December 15, 2017, Kensington Palace confirmed the ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 19, 2018.
- On March 22, 2018, Meghan and Harry sent out their Royal Wedding invitations.
- On May 19, 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wed in Windsor in front of their family, friends and the world.
- On October 15 2019, Harry and Meghan announce they are expecting their first child in Spring 2019.
- On May 6, 2019, at 5.27am, Meghan Markle gave birth to a healthy baby boy, weighing 7lbs 3oz. Unlike Prince William and Kate Middleton, Harry and Meghan opted for their baby’s arrival to take place in Windsor.
- On May 19, 2019, Meghan and Harry celebrated their first wedding anniversary by thanking everyone for “all of the love and support”, while releasing a photo montage on Instagram.
- On March 31, 2020, Meghan and Harry stepped down as senior royals and it was confirmed they were setting up a permanent home in the US.
When did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get married?
Shortly after their engagement was announced in 2017, it was revealed the highly-anticipated wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would take place on May 19, 2018.
The wedding was held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, which is where Harry was christened when he was three months old.
The newlyweds received rapturous applause as they emerged from Windsor’s St George’s Chapel following a ground-breaking multi-cultural ceremony complete with a gospel choir and eccentric American bishop.
When did Meghan Markle give birth to Archie?
Meghan Markle welcomed a baby boy – Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor – into the world on May 6, 2019.
The gender of the baby remained unknown until a statement was given on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex official Instagram.
Meghan and Harry’s baby weighed 7lbs 3oz and was born at 5.26am.
Shortly after the arrival of the baby, Harry gave a candid interview, revealing his excitement to be a dad.
He said: “We have a very healthy boy. Mother and baby are doing incredibly well. It has been the most amazing experience I could have ever possibly imagined.
“How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. I’m absolutely thrilled and so grateful for all the love and support out there. It has been amazing.”
When is Meghan and Harry’s baby girl due?
The duke and duchess told TV host Oprah Winfrey during their bombshell interview that they are expecting a baby girl.
When asked when their baby girl is due, Meghan confirmed “summertime”, which means she could arrive after Archie’s second birthday in May.
The couple announced on Valentine’s Day that they were expecting their second child.
The wonderful news comes just months after Meghan revealed her “unbearable grief” after suffering a miscarriage in July, 2020.
What have Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said about their relationship?
In September 2017, Meghan gave her first interview about Prince Harry.
She told Vanity Fair: “We’re a couple. We’re in love.
“I’m sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell — but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time.
“This is for us. It’s part of what makes it so special, that it’s just ours. But we’re happy. Personally, I love a great love story.
“We were very quietly dating for about six months before it became news and I was working during that whole time.
“And the only thing that changed was people’s perception.”
