WE HAVE AN AMAZING SHOW FOR YOU
TODAY.
TRACE ADKINS IS HERE.
I KNOW.
WE BEGIN WITH THE ROYAL WEDDING.
WORDS THAT HAVE SET HEARTS
AFLUTTER ALL ACROSS THE GLOBE.
AND NOW, THE ROYAL COUPLE IS
TELLING ALL.
WELL, THEY'RE TELLING A LITTLE
BIT.
WEDDING BELLS WILL BE RINGING IN
THE SPRING FOR PRINCE HARRY AND
MEGHAN MARKLE.
THE TWO GAVE THEIR FIRST
INTERVIEW AS AN ENGAGED COUPLE.
AND THEY SHARED THEIR STORY AND
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.
IT'S THE STUFF OF FAIRY TALES.
CALIFORNIA GIRL TOFIANCEE OF A
PRINCE.
PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE
MADE THEIR ENGAGEMENT PUBLIC.
AND ALLOWED US A GLIMPSE INTO
THE RELATIONSHIP.
THE MEETING, ON A BLIND DATE.
>> I HAD NEVER HEARD OF MEGHAN
BEFORE.
AND I WAS BEAUTIFULLY SURPRISED
WHEN I WALKED INTO THAT ROOM AND
SAW HER.
THERE SHE WAS SITTING THERE.
OKAY.
I HAVE TO UP MY GAME HERE.
I SIT DOWN AND MAKE SURE I GOT A
GOOD CHAT.
>> I WORRIED ABOUT HIM AND HIS
FAMILY WHAT HE WOULD SHARE WITH
ME AND VICE VERSA.
FOR BOTH OF US, IT WAS A REALLY
AUTHENTIC AND ORGANIC WAY TO GET
TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
>> Reporter: THE RING, THE
CENTER DIAMOND, IS FROM
BOTSWANA, A SPECIAL VACATION
SPOT FOR THE COUPLE.
>> WE SPENT TIME TOGETHER UNDER
THE STARS.
FIVE DAYS TOGETHER, IT WAS
FANTASTIC.
>> Reporter: AND THE TWO STONES
ON THE SIDE?
>> THEY'RE FROM MY MOTHER'S
JEWELRY COLLECTION, TO MAKE SURE
SHE'S WITH US ON THIS XRCRAZY JOURNEY
TOGETHER.
>> Reporter: A FORMAL
ANNOUNCEMENT, FOLLOWED BY THE
COUPLE POSING TO PICTURES.
SIMILAR TO PRINCE WILLIAM AND
KATE.
AND WILLIAM'S AND HARRY'S
PARENTS, PRINCE CHARLES AND
DIANA.
THAT'S WHERE THE TYPICAL ENDS
WITH MEGHAN MARKLE.
>> WILL YOU MARRY ME?
>> Reporter: FIRST OF ALL, SHE'S
AN ACTRESS, HOLDING A PROMINENT
ROLE ON THE DRAMA "SUITS."
SHE'S DIVORCED.
AND SHE'S FROM THIS SIDE OF THE
POND.
IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME A ROYAL
FELL IN A LOVE WITH A DIVORCED
AMERICAN.
BUT THAT FIRST TIME ALTERED
BRITISH HISTORY.
KING EDWARD VIII FELL IN LOVE
WITH AMERICAN SOCIALITE WALLIS
SIMPSON.
EDWARD ENDED UP GIVING UP THE
THRONE TO BE WITH SIMPSON IN
1937.
HIS BROTHER, GEORGE VI, HARRY'S
GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS THEN
CROWNED KING.
BUT NOW, THERE'S NOTHING BUT
CELEBRATION SURROUNDING THIS
YUNL
UNION.
>> IT WAS JUST A CHOICE.
EARLY ON WHEN WE REALIZED WE
WERE GOING TO COMMIT TO EACH
OTHER, THAT WE KNEW WE HAD TO
INVEST THE GAME AND THE ENERGY
AND WHATEVER IT TOOK TO MAKE
THAT HAPPEN.
>> I FELL IN LOVE WITH MEGHAN SO
INCREDIBLY QUICKLY WAS
CONFIRMATION TO ME THAT ALL THE
STARS WERE ALIGNED.
EVERYTHING WAS JUST PERFECT.
>> RIGHT?
JOINING ME NOW HERE IN STUDIO IS
ROYAL EXPERT VICTORIA ARBITER.
AND LIVE FROM LONDON, SALLY
BEDELL SMITH, AUTHOR OF "PRINCE
CHARLES," THE PASSIONS AND
PARADOX OF AN IMPROBABLE LIFE."
IF ONLY I HAD KNOWN THAT THE
ROYAL FAMILY WAS INTO DIVORCED
AMERICANS, I WOULD HAVE TRIED
HARDER EARLIER IN MY CAREER.
OKAY.
LET ME START WITH YOU, VICTORIA,
ON YOUR IMPRESSIONS ON THAT
JOINT INTERVIEW.
>> A COUPLE OF THINGS STRUCK ME.
FIRST OF ALL, WAS THE INTIMACY
BETWEEN THE TWO.
THEY WERE STARING AT EACH OTHER
LIKE LOVE SICK PUPPIES.
THAT WAS CHARMING TO SEE.
HARRY HAS WORN HIS HEART ON HIS
SLEEVE.
HE'S BEEN SO VOCAL THIS YEAR
FOLLOWING THE GRIEF OF THE LOSS
OF HIS BROTHER.
TO SEE HIM MADLY IN LOVE WAS
WONDERFUL.
BUT WHAT STRUCK ME ABOUT MEGHAN
WAS HER TREMENDOUS CONFIDENCE.
SHE DIDN'T SHUT HIM DOWN BUT SHE
OVERLAPPED.
SHE WAS NOT DEFERRING TO HIM.
SHE WAS NO SHRINKING VIE LOT.
BUT THEY CAME ACROSS ON EQUAL
FOOTING.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE A TEAM
MOVING FORWARD.
>> WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT?
IS SHE GOING TO BE A PRINCESS OR
WHAT?
>> WELL, I DOUBT SHE'LL BE A
PRINCESS BECAUSE SHE WOULD HAVE
TO TAKE THE NAME PRINCESS HENRY,
C
WHICH I DON'T THINK SHE WOULD
WANT.
SHE'S A STRONG WOMAN.
SHE'S HAD A PROFESSIONAL CAREER.
THE WORD IS, THEY MAY BE CALLED
THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUFFOLK,
WHICH WOULD BE A NICE, DIGNIFIED
NAME FOR THEM AND ONE I THINK
SHE COULD LIVE WITH.
I COULDN'T SEE HER AS PRINCESS
HENRY SOMEHOW.
>> WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO BE
PRINCESS HENRY?
>> SHE'S NOT A PRINCESS IN HER
OWN RIGHT.
>> THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT'S DONE
OVER HERE.
>> I THINK I WOULD SUCK IT UP.
IT'S FINE.
I'LL GO WITH HENRY.
I CAN LIVE WITH THAT.
LET ME ASK YOU, VICTORIA.
ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT TO YOU
WAS MEGHAN MARKLE'S 36.
HER AGE.
EXPLAIN WHY THAT'S SIGNIFICANT.
>> SHE IS THE AGE THAT DIANA WAS
WHEN SHE DIED.
I GET GOOSEBUMPS EVEN SAYING IT.
IT'S AMAZING TO THINK WHAT DIANA
HAS ACCOMPLISHED IN HER SHORT
LIFE.
YOU REALIZE HOW INCREDIBLY YOUNG
THAT IS.
AND SO, MEGHAN IS ENTERING THE
ROYAL FAMILY AT THE AGE DIANA
WAS WHEN SHE LEFT IT.
BUT I THINK HARRY HAS ALREADY
COMMITTED HIMSELF TO CONTINUING
DIANA'S LEGACY.
HIS WORK WITH AIDS AND HIV,
CONTINUING HER WORK ON BEHALF OF
THE HALO TRUST, WHICH OVERSEES
LAND MINES.
HE IS MAKING SURE HIS MOTHER'S
MESSAGE CONTINUES.
>> SALLY, HOW DO THE BRITS FEEL
ABOUT ADDING AN AMERICAN TO THE
ROYAL FAMILY?
>> I THINK THEY'RE VERY PLEASED.
I MEAN, THE DEGREE TO WHICH
AMERICA HAS BEEN INTEGRATED INTO
BRITISH CULTURE IN THE PAST,
SAY, 30 YEARS IS PRETTY
REMARKABLE.
THERE'S A LOT OF ANGELO-AMERICAN
MARRIAGES, EVEN WITHIN THE ROYAL
FAMILY.
PRINCE CHARLES HAS BEEN TO
AMERICA 20 TIMES.
HE HAS AMERICAN ADVISERS,
AMERICAN BENEFACTORS.
HE HAS TAKEN INSPIRATION FROM
AMERICAN PROJECTS.
THE QUEEN HAS AN AMERICAN LADY
IN WAITING.
SHE'S TAKEN HER ONLY PRIVATE
HOLIDAYS IN KENTUCKY AND
WYOMING.
SO, I THINK THEY'RE EXTREMELY
COMFORTABLE WITH AMERICANS.
REMEMBER HOW -- WHAT AFFINITY
THE ROYAL FAMILY HAD WITH THE
OBAMAS.
SO, I DON'T THINK THE PROSPECT
OF AN AMERICAN ENTERING THEIR
FAMILY IS ANYWHERE NEAR WHAT IT
WAS -- I MEAN, IT'S A TOTAL
OPPOSITE, REALLY, TO WHAT IT WAS
WHEN WALLIS SIMPSON CAME INTO
VIEW.
WHAT A DIFFERENT WOMAN SHE WAS.
>> I HAVE TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE
COAT SHE WAS WEARING.
IT'S SOLD OUT.
SHE'S A FASHION ICON LIKE THAT,
RIGHT?
>> LIKE THAT.
SHE CRUSHED THE WEBSITE.
THEY WEREN'T PREPARED.
SHE HAS FAMOUS DESIGNER FRIENDS.
EVERYONE WILL BE CLAMORING TO
SEND HER ITEMS, NOW.
>> THEY'RE CALLING THAT COAT,