An American Princess in London

Meghan Markle is set to become the first American English Princess. She is currently engaged to Prince Harry, once England’s most eligible bachelor. It’s been something of a quick and deep romance, and we’ve been watching adoringly. The two are an adorable pair, and we’re cheering for them, but let’s go back through time and discuss how they met, how the relationship went wrong and how the relationship went beautifully right.

The happy couple was caught on camera joking around with each other between takes, but there was no sound to help explain what they were actually saying.

The Beginning

The timeline is a little cloudy, but a close friend of Harry’s has confirmed that the two had been dating seriously since July 2016, meaning it’s been around 16 months from beginning to now. They’ve been seen going from place to place, shopping, attending quiet dinners and going to the theatre for the first few months of their relationship, but as things progressed they became more and more public. She seemed far more "into" the relationship at the beginning, stating that he was her boyfriend and the two of them were in love, while the Prince, no doubt used to the scrutiny, was a little cooler about the whole thing.

Prince Harry and  Meghan Markle are pictured together for the first time on a romantic date. The royal took the "Suits" star to the theatre in central London. They met on a blind date after being matched by a friend.

The Problems

Unfortunately, the biggest problem in Markle and the Prince’s relationship was, well, the public. The Brits were not best pleased with the idea of a "normal" American taking their prince off the market (remember, Royals aren’t
really known to date the "common folk"),  and in November 2016 Prince Harry released a public statement condemning his own people for the treatment of his girlfriend, as he was worried about her wellbeing. After all, it can’t be easy having an entire country of disappointed mothers.

"The inclusion of that and, obviously not being able to meet his mom, it’s so important to me to know that she’s a part of this with us. I think in being able to meet his aunts... and different people who were so important to his mom, I’m able to, in some way, know a part of her through them and of course through him. It’s incredibly special. And you know to be able to have this [the ring] which sort of links where you come from and Botswana which is important to us. It’s perfect."

The Good Times

The relationship is sweet and subtle, Markle has repeatedly said "this is for us. It’s part of what makes us special, that it’s just ours". They haven’t kept themselves entirely to themselves though, and they’ve made their way out to a few festivals, Pippa Middleton’s Wedding and the Invictus Games in Toronto. In a particularly sweet gesture, Prince Harry made a 1700 mile trip from the Caribbean just to visit the now future princess. Isn’t that just the sweetest thing?

The happy couple attends a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games, September 2017.

They’re also known to wear his and hers bracelet, one of those little subtle gestures that make a sweet relationship and makes us smile. He also apparently gets along very well with her mother, Doria. It was earlier this month when the two finally decided it was time to tie the knot, with Prince Harry proposing. This will be the end of Markle’s role on the show
"Suits", though the show will apparently go on. They now live in his two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace. He has made no secret of the fact that she’s his one and only.

Prince Harry and Meghan spotted wearing identical bracelets.

While we have no hard news on the wedding, the speculation, and the evidence of the past, on the idea that the two will probably have a quiet wedding. The two are a quiet pair, but firmly and completely in love, and we can’t get enough.

Watch the interview Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gave to the BBC's Mishal Husain: