Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's romance is one of whirlwind proportions. Compared to
Kate Middleton and Prince William's seven-year dating timeline, the two got engaged (and
then married) in under two years. And despite Meghan's Hollywood background, the couple
keeps a great deal of their relationship out of the public eye, opening up only for official
royal engagements—and even those are rare. Here, 17 things you didn't know about the
royal It couple.
They met on a blind date. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry disclosed in
their official engagement video that they were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend—one
that was at London's Soho House. The friend is reported to be Harry's childhood friend
Violet von Westenholz, who does PR for Ralph Lauren (which is how she met and became friends
with Meghan). But Meghan and Harry have yet to confirm their matchmaker's identity.
Neither of them knew anything about each other before they met.
In their engagement interview, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle revealed that they didn't
know a single thing about the other before their first date. Prince Harry hadn't even
heard of Meghan Markle and wasn't familiar with her work on Suits.
Meghan only agreed to go out with Prince Harry if he was "nice."
When reported matchmaker Violet first approached Meghan about setting her up with a royal,
Meghan only wanted to know one thing: "Was he nice?"
Harry knew Meghan was "the one" on their first date.
While posing for their official engagement photos in November 2017, Prince Harry told
photographers that he knew Meghan was the one "the very first time we met."
They fell in love on a camping trip in Africa, which was their third date.
Prince Harry knew it would be hard to continue to get to know Meghan Markle under the media's
magnifying glass, so he whisked her away to Africa where the two fell in love on a camping
trip "under the stars."
Meghan and Harry dated secretly for six months before going public.
Before they were engaged, Meghan Markle spoke their relationship to Vanity Fair. “I can
tell you that at the end of the day I think it’s really simple: We’re two people who
are really happy and in love," she said last September. "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. Nothing about me changed. I’m
still the same person that I am, and I’ve never defined myself by my relationship.”
Prince Harry was concerned for Meghan Markle's safety.
Prince Harry started to worry about Meghan Markle's safety just months into their relationship
when photographers began to flood Markle's mother's door. He then released an official
plea to the media via Kensington Palace—something very rarely done by royal family.
"Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he
has not been able to protect her. 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—it is her life and his."
Queen Elizabeth loved Meghan Markle from the start.
By December 2016, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had been dating for three months, and
it turns out Queen Elizabeth loved her from the start. Queen Elizabeth II was “fully
supportive” of Meghan and was “delighted to see Harry in a loving relationship.”
Before their engagement, Meghan Markle had to sit 18 seats away from Prince Harry at
the Invictus Games. For their first official royal event as a
couple, Meghan attended the annual Invictus Games' opening ceremony in Toronto, a cause
near and dear to Prince Harry. The only caveat? The two sat three rows and 18 seats away from
each other as Harry was next to other politicians because of his position.
Meghan started wearing an "H" initial ring before she was engaged to Prince Harry.
Prior to her official engagement to Prince Harry in November 2017, Meghan Markle started
wearing a tribute to her fiancé-to-be in April 2017. TMZ acquired photos of the Duchess
wearing a minimalist gold ring with an "H" initial while leaving a yoga class in Toronto.
She wore the "H" band on her index finger, but it was definitely a precursor to bigger
things to come.
Meghan was Harry's date to Pippa Middleton's wedding.
Six months before her engagement to Prince Harry in November 2017, Meghan Markle accompanied
Prince Harry to his sister-in-law Pippa Middleton's wedding in May. Meghan wasn't photographed
at Pippa's ceremony, though she did accompany Harry to the reception. They did, allegedly,
have to sit apart though.
Harry proposed to Meghan while they were "roasting chicken."
During their engagement announcement video, Prince Harry divulged the details of how he
proposed to Meghan Markle. Harry described a "cozy night" in their cottage and that he
and Meghan were just enjoying each other's company in their home while baking a chicken
when Harry got down on one knee.
Prince Harry proposed with diamonds from Princess Diana's personal collection.
Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle back in November 2017. To pop the question, he
used a three-stone diamond ring he personally designed with Cleave and Company. The large
center stone comes from Botswana and the two smaller side stones are from Princess Diana's
personal collection.
Meghan was secretly baptized into the Church of England ahead of her wedding.
Just two months before her royal wedding to Prince Harry, People reports that Meghan Markle
was secretly baptized into the Church of England by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Prince Harry
and Prince Charles were reportedly among the few royal family members who attended.
Meghan Markle wore a blue dress on her first date with Harry.
In her first solo interview since becoming a royal, Meghan Markle revealed the very special
way she included a "something blue" in her wedding look. Sewn into her veil was a patch
of fabric from the blue dress she wore on her first date with Prince Harry.
They weren't married in the same church as Kate Middleton and Prince William.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry married in St. George's Chapel, while Kate Middleton
and Prince William wed in Westminster Abbey in April 2011. Meghan and Harry's wedding
venue is the same chapel where Princess Eugenie will marry Jack Brooksbank on October 12 this
year.
Meghan Markle wore custom Givenchy to her wedding.
For her May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle wore a custom Givenchy gown
with bateau neckline designed by Clare Waight Keller. The Duchess changed into a custom
Stella McCartney halter gown for her reception.