Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's complete relationship timeline
By Karishma Sarkari|
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship has been described as historic.
The American actress came into the British royal family as a successful business woman, divorcจฆe... and a woman of colour.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were an instant hit with the public and were praised for bringing the monarchy into the 21st century.
But the modern fairytale has had some bumps in the road.
After breaking off from The Firm, the pair are continuing to play by their own rules, now navigating lives as independent royals in Los Angeles.
Here's Harry and Meghan's love story unfolded.
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July 2016: Blind date?
It's a tad unclear as to how, exactly, Harry and Meghan met.
Initially, it was made clear by Harry that ?they met after a mutual friend set them up on a blind date while Meghan was in London back in July 2016.
"This beautiful woman just tripped and fell into my life, I fell into her life," Harry said of their meeting during their engagement interview.
In the Sussexes' Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, however, Harry said ?he met Meghan over Instagram, after a video of Meghan came up on his friend's feed. Harry's friend, who was also a friend of Meghan's, then reached out to Meghan via email, and said Harry wanted to meet her.
Meghan, impressed by Harry's private Instagram feed, then exchanged numbers with Harry.
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After two back-to-back dates before Meghan had to fly back to Canada to film TV show Suits, Harry revealed he convinced the actress to join him in Botswana a few weeks later, where they camped under the stars and got to know each other better.
The couple also opened up about their Botswana getaway in their Netflix docuseries, confirming the story once again.?
While neither has ever revealed the name of their mystery cupid, it's believed to be designer Misha Nonoo, who is friends with Meghan and whose ex-husband Alexander Gilkes is a close friend of Harry.
Harry also later revealed in his memoir, Spare, that he "smoked weed" and drank tequila after his first date with Meghan at a friend's house, which caused him to panic when she FaceTimed him.?
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November 2016: Rare statement from Kensington Palace confirms they're dating
After fans worked out the pair were dating, thanks to matching bracelets spotted in an Instagram photo, Harry made the very rare move of confirming the news via a statement from Kensington Palace.
The then 33-year-old royal released a personal statement defending his then-girlfriend against the "wave of abuse and harassment" she'd been subjected since rumours of their relationship emerged.
"Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her," the statement from Harry's Communications Secretary read.
"It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm.
"He knows commentators will say this is 'the price she has to pay' and that 'this is all part of the game'. He strongly disagrees. This is not a game จC it is her life and his."
The press intrusion and social media hate faced by Meghan is one of the main themes of their docuseries, as well as Harry's memoir. In both pieces, Harry often compares Meghan to his late mother, Princess Diana, in that regard.?
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September 2017: First public appearance together
Harry's Invictus Games were held in Toronto, Canada in September 2017 จC where Meghan was living at the time to film Suits.
It was the perfect place for Harry and Meghan to make their first public appearance together as a couple.
They walked into the event holding hands and whispered into each other's ears as they watched a tennis match between Australia and New Zealand players.
Perhaps hinting at what was to come, Meghan famously wore a shirt designed by their suspected cupid, Misha Nonoo, called The Husband Shirt.
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November 2017: Harry and Meghan announce their engagement
On November 28, 2017 the couple announced they were engaged following an 18-month courtship.
"His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms. Meghan Markle," the statement from Clarence House read.
During the photo call in The Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace later that day, Harry admitted he knew Meghan was 'The One' from "the very first moment we met".
During their engagement interview in the evening, the couple revealed the royal got down on one knee in the kitchen of their cottage, while the pair were cooking a roast chicken.
READ MORE: ?How Harry and Meghan's engagement unfolded
"It was just an amazing surprise. It was so sweet, and natural and very romantic," Meghan told BBC reporter Mishal Husain.
"I could barely let you finish, I was like, 'Can I say yes now?'" she said, looking to Harry.
"She just kept saying 'Yes' and I was like, 'Can I give you the ring now?' and she was like, 'Oh yes, the ring!'"
The ring was designed by the Prince and includes two side stones from the personal collection of Diana, while the centre stone is from Botswana จC a personal sentiment from their first trip together.
READ MORE: How Diana's Panorama interview rocked the royal family?
Harry later said in Harry & Meghan that he wanted to propose to Meghan earlier, ?but because he had to ask the Queen for her permission first, he "couldn't" pop the question outside of the UK. In his memoir, Harry admitted he was puzzled by the Queen's response when he did ask her permission.
The couple also revealed in the docuseries that Meghan's beagle, Guy, was also involved in the proposal, and they later celebrated their engagement privately by throwing a party where all the guests wore animal onesies.
?The couple of honour chose penguin onesies in a nod to the fact penguins mate for life, with Meghan's friend noting in the series: "She felt like they could take on the world."
It was also noted by the couple that their official engagement announcement was "rehearsed" and they felt they "weren't allowed to tell [their] story".?
December 2017: Meghan's first official outing as a royal-to-be
Just days after they announced their plans to marry, the couple embarked on their first joint royal engagement.
The trip to Nottingham was the first of a number of outings, designed to give the American actress an induction to Harry's charities and people in the UK.
"I remember vividly her first public engagement after her and Harry's engagement was announced, their first appearance was in Nottingham. There was such an amazing turnout," Getty photographer Chris Jackson recalled to 9Honey.
"Meghan, as she was known then, she really took the time to chat to as many people as possible in the crowd. Both of them worked as a team, they swapped sides จC it was a great walkabout and she seemed very natural."
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May 2018: The Royal Wedding
It was quite a dramatic lead up to the couple's nuptials.
Following members of Meghan's family coming out of the woodwork unhappy to not have received an invite to the big day, her dad came under the spotlight after staging shots with paparazzi in Mexico, organised by Meghan's estranged half-sister Samantha.
The couple's troubles got worse from there with the bride's dad Thomas Markle unable to walk her down the aisle after suffering a heart attack as a result of the ensuing drama.
It was also because of Meghan's troubled relationship with Samantha that she couldn't invite her beloved niece to her nuptials, which she revealed in Harry & Meghan and claimed was at the behest of the Palace.
And let's not forget ?the infamous "crying" incident between future-sisters-in-law Kate Middleton and Meghan over Princess Charlotte's bridesmaid dress, which was laid bare in Spare where Harry revealed the blunt text messages exchanged between the two.
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The Royal Wedding went ahead as planned on May 19, 2018, on a glorious sunny day in Windsor.
The then-Prince Charles stepped in to walk Meghan down the aisle inside St George's Chapel, where Harry was waiting in uniform.
The newly-minted Duke and Duchess of Sussex delighted fans with a kiss on the steps as they exited the chapel.
The couple enjoyed an afternoon reception inside Windsor Castle, hosted by the Queen, and a private evening event at Frogmore House, hosted by Charles.
Charles played a central role in wedding preparations, according to Harry & Meghan, with the couple revealing in the docuseries he helped them choose the gospel choir, Kingdom Choir, that performed at the ceremony.
Meghan also described her father-in-law as "charming", and said it was "really important to [her]" that he did accept her request for him to walk her down the aisle, as she had "lost [her] dad" in the weeks leading up to the wedding.?
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October 2018: First overseas tour as newlyweds and pregnancy announcement
The Sussexes headed Down Under for their first overseas Royal Tour as newlyweds จC spending 16 days travelling around Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Samoa.
The tour coincided with Harry's Invictus Games, which were being held in Sydney.
After landing in Australia and on the eve of their first tour, Harry and Meghan revealed they were expecting their first child.
The Duchess was believed to have been past the 12-week mark in her pregnancy at the time of their announcement.
In Harry & Meghan, the couple said they "had to" announce Meghan's pregnancy as she was "showing", and Meghan opened up about the "rigorous" 76-engagement tour.?
It's also alleged in the docuseries that the Palace felt "incredibly threatened" by Harry and Meghan's popularity after their Australia tour.
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April 2019: Move out of Kensington Palace to Frogmore Cottage
Ahead of their new life as a family, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex renovated Frogmore Cottage in Windsor and moved out of London.
The couple announced their permanent move out of Kensington Palace จC which saw them next door to Prince William, Kate and their children จC in November 2018.
The renovations of the 10-bedroom home were completed in early 2019, with Harry and Meghan moving in the first week of April.
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May 2019: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor is born
Under a shroud of secrecy, Meghan gave birth to baby Archie at 5.26am on May 6, 2019 at London's private Portland Hospital.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex kept the news of Baby Sussex's (as he was then called) early morning arrival a secret for hours, with Harry officially announcing their baby boy's birth in an impromptu press conference once they were back in Windsor.
"It has been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined," the new father said.
"How any woman does, what they do, is beyond comprehension," he said, making a hand signal for 'mind blowing'.
"We're both absolutely thrilled and so grateful to all the love and support from everybody out there."
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Deciding to skip the more traditional photo opp outside the hospital on the way home, the new parents fronted the media two days later to introduce their newborn to the world, from inside Windsor Castle.
They announced Archie's name in a social media post shortly after.
In Harry & Meghan, the Sussexes opened up about Archie's birth, claiming that Meghan was unable to give birth at the hospital she wanted, and despite their reluctance to "serve [their] child up on a silver platter", they did agree to do the traditional photocall, albeit two days later.?
Meghan's mother said in the docuseries that the couple had already been "stripped of their privacy" and when Archie arrived, "It was almost like it's not your child, it's the institution's child."
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September 2019: First Royal Tour as a family (and their last)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex headed to Southern Africa for their first tour as a family.
Given four-month-old Archie was joining them, Harry did a few days of the tour solo จC travelling to Botswana, Angola, Malawi by himself.
However, the couple started the 10-day tour in Cape Town, South Africa and ended the tour together, spending two days in Johannesburg, South Africa.
October 2019: Announce they're taking a "family break" for six weeks
After coming home from their hugely successful Royal Tour, the couple announced they would be taking a six-week break to see out the year for some much-needed family time.
During their ITV documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, filmed during the tour but airing after they returned, it became clear why the couple wanted time away.
The pair both revealed to journalists Tom Bradby, they were struggling with elements of public life.
"Part of this job means putting on a brave face and turning a cheek to this stuff, but for me and for my wife, of course there's a lot of stuff that hurts," Harry said.
"Especially when the majority of it is untrue. But all we need to do is focus on being real and being the people we are and standing up for what we believe in.
"I will not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum."
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November 2019: Head to Canada for holidays
Harry and Meghan chose to spend their time away on Vacouver Island in Canada, enjoying Archie's first Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year there.
They reportedly stayed in a lavish $20 million waterfront mansion.
The Sussexes opened up about their time in Canada and the early stages of their royal exit in Harry & Meghan, which you can read more about here.?
January 2020: Announce 'Megxit'
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to London and held their first joint royal engagement for the year at Canada House on January 7.
They said thank you to High Commissioner, Her Excellency Ms. Janice Charette, for the country's hospitality during their recent stay there.
However, Archie remained in Canada จC the reason for which became apparent when a day later, Harry and Meghan announced they would be retiring from lives as working members of the Royal Family.
The move, reportedly announced without approval from the Queen, quickly became dubbed 'Megxit'.
Their premature statement prompted the Sandringham Summit จC an emergency meeting to discuss their exit terms with the Queen, Charles, William and Harry.
Harry has since alleged that Meghan was "deliberately excluded" from the Sandringham Summit.?
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March 2020: Last joint engagement as working royals
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex came to an agreement to wrap up their official duties and relinquish the use of their HRH titles, while still retaining them.
On March 9, the couple attended the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey alongside the entire Royal Family. This was their last joint engagement together as full-time working royals.
Harry and Meghan ended up moving to America slightly earlier than originally planned due to the COVID-19 outbreak closing borders.
Here's how their royal departure unfolded behind closed doors.?
November 2020: Secret heartbreak revealed
In November 2020, Meghan revealed she'd suffered a miscarriage while pregnant in mid-2020, writing about the heartbreaking experience in a New York Times op-ed titled 'The Losses We Share'.
She recalled feeling a sharp cramp as she changed son Archie's nappy, knowing immediately something was wrong.
"I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right. I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second," she wrote.
Meghan also spoke of the grief she and Harry shared, both in the moment and in the months that followed.
"I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we'd heal," she wrote of their time in hospital.
Harry later revealed his belief that his wife's miscarriage was caused by the media in Harry & Meghan.?
February 2021: A baby on the way
There was happier news for the Sussexes in early 2021, the couple announcing they were expecting their second child.
The Valentine's Day announcement included a beautiful portrait of the couple at home in Montecito.
Coincidentally, Valentine's Day in 1984 was the day that Diana revealed her pregnancy with Harry.
?"We had no idea, it was just a coincidence," Harry said in Harry & Meghan. "Or maybe not a coincidence."
June 2021: Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor is born
On June 4, the Sussexes became a family of four with the birth of Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
The new addition to the royal family was named for her great-grandmother, with 'Lilibet' being Queen Elizabeth II's nickname since childhood, and her late grandmother Princess Diana.
Harry and Meghan both took parental leave to enjoy time with their new daughter.
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In the time since Lili's birth, Harry and Meghan have returned to the United Kingdom twice จC once for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, and again for private engagements in September 2022, which were then cancelled following the Queen's death.
Both Harry and Meghan undertook official royal duties during the period of mourning, though their role at Charles' upcoming coronation remains unclear, especially in the wake of their bombshell Oprah interview, Harry's memoir release and accompanying television interviews, and their six-part Netflix series.
It's believed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle signed a $US100 million (approx. $148 million) production deal with Netflix in September 2020, which included the six-part docuseries.
As part of the reportedly lucrative deal, Harry and Meghan were also understood to have signed on for feature films, scripted shows, and children's programming with the streaming giant.
The Sussexes have also reportedly signed a $US18 million (approx. $26 million) deal with Spotify, which includes Meghan's podcast Archetypes, and Harry reportedly was paid a $US20 million (approx. $29 million) advance for his book, Spare.
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