Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's marriage has been scrutinized since before they even tied the knot.
The couple first met in July 2016 after being set up by a mutual friend.
They apparently went on their very first date at Soho House in London, and really hit it
off. From there, they made plans to see each other as often as their schedules would allow.
Of course, at the time, Meghan was still working on her TV series "Suits," and Harry had a plethora
of obligations and royal duties that he needed to carry out. Things moved fairly rapidly from there,
and it didn't take long for the two to fall in love. In November 2017,
while they were at home roasting a chicken, Harry got down on one knee and proposed to Meghan.
Once Harry and Meghan went public with their engagement,
it seemed as though the tabloids put out a stream of never-ending content,
focusing more on the negative than the positive. Of course, plenty of people had their doubts
about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Even Harry's own brother, Prince William, reportedly
thought that Harry and Meghan's relationship moved a little too fast, according to People.
Basically, onlookers were practically placing bets on how long Harry and Meghan would last.
And, for one specific royal photographer, the best guess was just three years,
and he has since spoken out about his bleak prediction.
The royal wedding took place on May 19, 2018, despite any doubts surrounding Meghan
and Harry's union. In July 2021, royal photographer Kent Gavin told Insider,
"When it was announced that Harry was going to marry Meghan,
I said to my colleagues and a few people, I don't give that marriage three years."
He continued,
"I cannot see Hollywood, which is Meghan, a beautiful woman,
a confident actress, putting up with the system, which even Diana couldn't cope with."
Of course, three years have since come and gone, and Harry and Meghan seem to be doing just fine.
In January 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex formally stepped down as senior members of the
royal family, and moved to California. Now, life looks very different for the couple,
who live in Montecito with their two children, Archie Harrison and Lilibet Diana.
Of course, quite a few people have been forced to eat their words when it comes to Prince Harry and
Meghan Markle's marriage. In 2021, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex celebrated their third wedding
anniversary, and their relationship appears to be going strong. Despite this milestone,
Lady Colin Campbell told Page Six that there was no way that Harry and Meghan's marriage was going
to last. Another person who doesn't think that these two have staying power is Meghan's estranged
half-sister, Samantha Markle. In May, she told TMZ she doesn't think that Harry will stick around
long term. Lady Victoria Hervey also doesn't think that Harry and Meghan have staying power,
telling The Sun that the couple rushed into their relationship.
Despite the ongoing criticism, Harry and Meghan appear to be
over-the-moon in love with their newborn baby girl,
and they don't seem to be letting the negativity affect their day-to-day lives.
Despite Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's fairy tale romance,
their marriage has not come without its own set of challenges.
In the couple's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan revealed,
"I will say I went into it naively."
"Mm-hmm. "
"Because I didn't grow up knowing much about the royal family."
The former "Suits" star also said of the royal family,
"It wasn't something that was part of the
conversation at home [...] it wasn't something we followed."
From learning to curtsy for the queen, to naively believing that the royal family
would protect her from the press, Meghan was blindsided by the unique challenges of
belonging to Britain's ruling family. It's enough pressure to break down any marriage,
but Meghan's negative experience only seemed to strengthen her relationship with Prince Harry.
After stepping back as senior members of the royal family,
the duo were able to carve out a new life for themselves beyond the monarchy. And for Meghan,
knowing that she has a partner who is willing to support her amid some of her most difficult
struggles might have been key in forging an unbreakable bond with her husband. It seems
like these two have a lifetime of wedding anniversaries in store for the future.
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