Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s love story is truly what fairy tales are made of (you know, minus all that drama with the royal family). From meeting while Meghan was working as an actor to getting married, having two cute babies, and leaving the British royal family to be sorta normal, they’ve been through it all. And even after facing tons of unfair scrutiny from the public and press, they only seem stronger—I mean, last winter they legit just came out with a six-part Netflix docuseries that explores the entire span of their ’ship.
So while you’re trying to figure out if you have a shot at running into them in Los Angeles, let’s take a trip down memory lane and see how these two royals fell in love.
October 31, 2016
The Sunday Express reports that Prince Harry has been secretly dating Suits star Meghan Markle. According to one source, Harry is “happier than he’s been for many years” and “there’s definitely chemistry between them.”
November 2, 2016
Both Toronto paper Star and Us Weekly report that Harry and Meghan attended a Halloween party together in Canada following a “bait-and-switch” situation at Heathrow Airport. (Meghan lives in Toronto when Suits is filming.) People, meanwhile, reports that Harry has already introduced his new girlfriend to his father, Prince Charles. According to one source, “Harry is pretty serious about her and she is pretty serious about him.”
November 8, 2016
Harry confirms his relationship by releasing a rare statement that includes a plea to the media and social media trolls to stop the “wave of abuse and harassment.” According to Harry, there have been “nightly legal battles” to stop papers from publishing defamatory stories while Meghan’s mother has been fighting photographers at front door.
“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.”
December 7, 2016
While at a flower shop in Toronto, Meghan is pictured wearing a necklace with the letters “M” and “H.” According to Entertainment Tonight, the 14-karat gold Maya Brenner Asymmetrical Letter necklace is $240, with an additional $60 for each letter.
December 14, 2016
Meghan and Harry are spotted holding hands in public for the first time after catching The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime on London’s West End. The Sun reports that the couple, who wore his-and-hers beanies, admired Christmas lights along Piccadilly. The day before, Meghan and Harry are spotted picking out a six-foot Christmas tree together.
December 20, 2016
Us Weekly reports that Queen Elizabeth II is “fully supportive” of Harry’s relationship with Meghan. According to one source, the Queen is “delighted to see Harry in a loving relationship.”
January 6, 2017
Meghan and Harry embark on their first official vacation together after spending New Year’s in London. Us Weekly reports the couple jetted off to the Norwegian fjords to catch the Northern Lights, staying with Harry’s close friend expedition guide and polar consultant Inge Solheim at his luxury property in Tromsø. According to a source at The Sun, Harry “put a lot of thought into it and wanted to make it as romantic and special as possible.”
February 2, 2017
Meghan and Harry are spotted holding hands in London after dinner at the exclusive Soho House, where they reportedly first met last June through mutual friend Markus Anderson, a consultant at the private members’ club. Sources tell The Sun that the actor, who is currently on a break from filming Suits, has “virtually moved in” with Harry at his cottage in Kensington Palace. One friend predicts a spring engagement: “I know that sounds a bit crazily soon, but he’s head over heels and they can’t bear to be apart.”
March 4, 2017
Meghan joins Harry at a friend’s wedding in Montego Bay, Jamaica. According to People, Meghan wore a long floral dress and sunglasses while Harry served as one of 14 ushers in a navy blue blazer and pants.
April 7, 2017
In an announcement and final post, Meghan’s lifestyle website, The Tig, shuts down after nearly three years. Despite speculations that this is a sign Meghan and Harry will soon tie the knot, a source tells People that the actor’s decision to close the site is related to her filming schedule for Suits and her humanitarian work.
April 13, 2017
Harry secretly flies to Toronto to spend Easter weekend with Meghan, according to photos obtained by E! News. The site reports that Harry arrived with a large duffel bag and sported a baseball hat to hide his face outside Meghan’s building.
April 14, 2017
TMZ publishes photos of Meghan wearing a new ring on her left index finger while out in Toronto. The ring contains one important detail: the initial “H.”
May 7, 2017
Meghan and Harry share their first public kiss following Harry’s participation in the annual Audi Polo Challenge in Ascot, England. The smooch happens outside the polo fields on a parking lot. That same weekend, Meghan is seen cheering on the prince from the sidelines in a stylish navy blue dress and white blazer combo.
May 20, 2017
Meghan is Harry’s date at Pippa Middleton’s wedding reception, held at the Middletons’ $8 million estate in Bucklebury. According to E! News, Meghan’s absence from the ceremony was per royal protocol to ensure royals like Harry don’t upstage civilian events. Following the ceremony, Harry reportedly drove straight to Kensington Palace, where Meghan had been staying for a few days, to pick up his date. FYI, church door to palace, it’s about a three-hour round-trip drive, so it must be ~love~.
June 19, 2017
Daily Mail reports that Harry has given Meghan a gold ring—for her thumb. According to one source, Harry gave the ring about six weeks ago and Meghan has “happily” informed people on the set of Suits that it indeed is from the royal and that it’s actually too big for her thumb. The ring is the latest piece of jewelry Harry has given his lady, joining a collection that includes a blue-and-white bracelet (which matches his own), a Cartier Love bracelet, a Maya Brenner necklace with the initials “M” and “H,” and a gold arrow ring.
September 5, 2017
Speaking to Vanity Fair in a rare interview, Meghan opens up about being “really happy and in love” with Harry. She also confirms that they met in July 2016 and managed to date under the radar for a few months before the press caught on.
“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. 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.”
In the same interview, Meghan also says “there will be a time” when they come forward and share more of their life together with the public, but for now, they want to keep things as private as possible. “This is for us. It’s part of what makes it so special, that it’s just ours. But we’re happy. Personally, I love a great love story.”
September 24, 2017
Meghan and Harry make their first public appearance together at an official royal event, except for one minor detail: They sit 18 seats apart due to royal protocol.
September 25, 2017
Meghan and Harry sit together at the Invictus Games. The pictures are everything.
November 27, 2017
Prince Charles announces the engagement of Meghan and Harry, who will wed in spring 2018!
In a statement, Clarence House confirms that Harry proposed in London in early November after receiving a blessing from Meghan’s parents. The Queen and close members of the royal family were also informed.
Harry’s family along with Meghan’s parents release separate statements congratulating the couple on their engagement.
Harry and Meghan’s announcement also includes a brief meeting with press at Kensington Palace Gardens.
According to People, Harry proposed with a three-stone diamond ring he designed with British jeweler Cleave and Company. The center stone is from Botswana, while the two side stones are from Princess Diana’s personal collection.
In their first joint interview since announcing their engagement, Harry and Meghan reveal to the BBC’s Mishal Husain that the surprise proposal happened over a typical roast chicken dinner at their cottage.
December 20, 2017
Meghan joins Harry and members of the royal family for Queen Elizabeth’s annual Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace.
December 21, 2017
Meghan and Harry release three official engagement photos taken by Alexi Lubomirski earlier in the week at Frogmore House, Windsor.
December 25, 2017
Breaking royal tradition, Meghan attends Christmas services with the royal family at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham.
Upon seeing Queen Elizabeth for the first time that day, Kate and Meghan curtsy while William and Harry bow as per royal etiquette. It’s Meghan’s first royal curtsy in public, FYI.
January 1, 2018
Meghan and Harry spend New Year’s in the French Riveria, according to Daily Mail. The couple reportedly traveled via British Airways, boarded the flight separately, and occupied three rows of economy seats with bodyguards in tow.
January 9, 2018
Meghan and Harry make their second official public appearance as a couple together, this time with a visit to Brixton in south London for a meeting with members of Reprezent 107.3FM, a youth radio station.
January 18, 2018
During an official royal visit to a castle in Cardiff, Meghan and Harry are presented with a cake made entirely out of cheese.
It’s during the visit that Meghan breaks royal protocol, giving a 10-year-old fan a quick autograph. According to People, Meghan wrote “Hi Kaitlin” and added a heart and smiley face.
March 8, 2018
People reports that Meghan was secretly baptized into the Church of England in a ceremony conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The quiet ceremony, which took place at St. James’s Palace in London, was attended by a few members of the royal family, including Prince Harry and Charles. Queen Elizabeth II, the head of the Church of England, was not present.
March 12, 2018
Meghan and Harry are spotted sharing a little laugh after Liam Payne’s performance during a Commonwealth Day celebration at Westminster Abbey. In this video, courtesy of The Telegraph’s Anita Singh, Meghan can be seen bursting into a laugh after Harry raises his eyebrows at the end of Liam’s song.
March 22, 2018
Photos of Meghan and Harry’s wedding invitations are released. Taken at the workshop of Barnard and Westwood in London, the photos confirm that Harry’s legal name, “Henry,” was printed on the invitations and that a lunch reception at St George’s will be held following the ceremony.
March 23, 2018
Meghan and Harry make a surprise appearance in Belfast and visit the Titanic Museum and an event at the Eikon Centre in Lisburn. For security reasons, the trip was kept secret.
April 6, 2018
Meghan and Harry step out for the Invictus Games tryouts for the U.K. team. Meghan’s long army green coat, the Lawson in Monterey by Babaton, is an immediate favorite among royal watchers.
April 21, 2018
Meghan and Harry attend the Queen’s official birthday party at Royal Albert Hall.
May 14, 2018
Meghan’s dad, Thomas Markle Sr.—previously confirmed as the one who would walk her down the aisle—pulls out of the wedding following reports that he had worked with paparazzi to stage and sell photos of himself reading a picture book on Great Britain. In addition, he tells TMZ he suffered a heart attack six days prior. Kensington Palace releases a brief statement on the matter: “This is a deeply personal moment for Ms. Markle in the days before her wedding. She and Prince Harry again ask for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr. Markle in this difficult time.”
May 17, 2018
Meghan releases a statement via Kensington Palace on her dad. “Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding. I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health.” In the statement, Meghan thanks “everyone who has offered generous messages of support.”
Later that day, Meghan and Harry are spotted heading to wedding rehearsals in Windsor, two days before their big day.
May 18, 2018
Via Kensington Palace, Meghan announces on the eve of her wedding that Prince Charles will be the one to walk her down the aisle. Charles says he “is pleased to be able to welcome Ms. Markle to The Royal Family in this way.”
The engaged couple are spotted one last time heading from Kensington Palace to Windsor Castle before Meghan and her mother arrive at Cliveden House Hotel, while Harry is spotted with his brother and best man, William, outside Windsor Castle greeting crowds. While walking into the hotel, Meghan tells reporters she feels “wonderful, thank you.”
May 19, 2018
Meghan and Harry are married! Meet the Duke and Duchess of Sussex:
May 21, 2018
Kensington Palace releases three official royal wedding portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
May 22, 2018
Meghan and Harry step out for their first official royal duty as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The occasion: Prince Charles’s 70th Birthday Patronage Celebration at Buckingham Palace Gardens.
June 9, 2018
Meghan takes her place on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the very first time during the Trooping of the Colour celebrations.
August 16, 2018
The couple reportedly goes on a secret Italian getaway with George and Amal Clooney at their Lake Como villa. Apparently, Harry spends most of this time playing basketball while Meghan helps to look after the Clooneys’ twins, but these details (as well as the entire trip) are not officially confirmed by the palace.
October 12, 2018
Meghan and Harry attend Princess Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank.
October 15, 2018
On the very same day as the start of the couple’s first-ever royal tour, Kensington Palace officially confirms that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their first child. According to reports, they first broke the news to their family at Eugenie’s wedding on October 12.
November 24, 2018
A royal source has leaked news that Harry and Meghan are moving out of Kensington Palace and into Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Estate early next year. This news remains unconfirmed by the palace, but it doesn’t come as a surprise since the couple will soon need more room to raise their baby.
May 6, 2019
Meghan gives birth to her and Harry’s first baby, Archie! Unlike Kate Middleton, Meghan opted out of giving birth in the Lindo Wing in a London Hospital and doing a “step out” right after giving birth. Two days later, they gave a quick interview and took a few pictures with Archie, which they then shared with the world.
September 29, 2019
In a matter of months, Archie already goes on a royal tour with his parents and meets Archbishop Desmond Tutu!
December 23, 2019
Meghan and Harry’s Christmas card features Archie front and center, and a body-language expert suggested it shows that the couple wants to be seen as “cool, stylish, and rather different.”
January 8, 2020
Welp! Meghan and Harry officially announce they’re stepping back from their royal duties.
“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty the Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.”
March 27, 2020
Shocking everyone, the Sussexes move from their new home on Vancouver Island to Los Angeles, where they can be closer to Meghan’s mom, friends, and their new team of agents and business managers.
March 30, 2020
Meghan and Harry sign out of the @SussexRoyal Instagram account forever as they move on to the next chapter of their lives. Although they won’t be active on that account anymore, they reassured their followers that “the work continues” and they “look forward to reconnecting.”
May 6, 2020
It’s Archie’s 1st birthday! To celebrate, Harry records Meghan reading Duck! Rabbit! to Archie and it’s the most adorable thing ever. (You can check out the video right this way.)
August 12, 2020
The Sussex fam buys a brand-new house in Santa Barbara!
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved into their family home in July of this year,” the couple’s rep told People. “They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbors as well as for them as a family.”
October 6, 2020
In honor of hosting a Time 100 talk, the Sussexes pose for a new portrait together.
November 25, 2020
In an essay for the New York Times, Meghan opens up about having a miscarriage over the summer.
“It was a July morning that began as ordinarily as any other day: Make breakfast. Feed the dogs. Take vitamins. Find that missing sock. Pick up the rogue crayon that rolled under the table. Throw my hair in a ponytail before getting my son from his crib. After changing his diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. 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.”
“We have learned that when people ask how any of us are doing, and when they really listen to the answer, with an open heart and mind, the load of grief often becomes lighter—for all of us,” she continued. “In being invited to share our pain, together we take the first steps toward healing.”
Read her moving full essay here.
December 4, 2020
Harry and Meghan are spotted buying their first California Christmas tree! A family saw them out and about as they ran festive errands.
“Meghan and Prince Harry came into my work today and we sold them their Christmas Tree,” @ImaJaaaaaames wrote in a since-deleted tweet, per People. “We had our lot empty when they got there—their agent promoted them a good time to come instead of us shutting it down. There was one family in there and their stoked little son ran through trees up to Harry and asked if he worked here, not knowing who that is.”
December 24, 2020
The couple drops their holiday card!
February 14, 2021
Harry and Meghan announce they’re expecting a baby!
February 19, 2021
The Queen takes back Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s royal patronages. The couple release a statement via their spokesperson, saying, “As evidenced by their work over the past year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world and have offered their continued support to the organizations they have represented regardless of official role. We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
March 7, 2021
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sit down for a two-hour tell-all interview with Oprah, where they open up about everything from their decision to step back from royal duties, the racism and bullying Meghan experienced living in England, and their life in California:
May 6, 2021
The Sussexes celebrate Archie’s birthday with a cute new pic:
June 4, 2021
Meghan and Harry welcome their baby daughter, Lilibet Diana! They announce the news on their Archewell website:
“It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world. Lili was born on Friday, June 4, at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA. She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well and settling in at home. Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty the Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, the Princess of Wales. This is the second child for the couple, who also have a 2-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as a family.”
September 15, 2021
The couple is part of Time’s Most Influential People roundup of 2021!
November 11, 2021
Meghan and Harry make a return to the red carpet at the 2021 Salute to Freedom Gala in New York City, looking AMAZING:
November 20, 2021
Meghan opens up about Archie and Lili to Ellen DeGeneres, saying, “I think it’s just, everyone tells you—well, someone told H and I: ‘When you have one kid, it’s a hobby, and two children is parenting.’ Suddenly we realized, ‘Oh, right.’ Everyone talks about what it’s like for the second child, but no one talks about the adjustment for the first child when the second one comes along. So I think they have this moment of, ‘Oh, this is fun. Oh, this how it is now.’”
December 23, 2021
Meghan and Harry reveal the very first photo of Lili in an adorable family Christmas portrait.
April 14, 2022
Meghan and Harry make a secret trip to visit the Queen!
April 16, 2022
Meghan and Harry appear at the Invictus Games opening ceremony and have the sweetest moment onstage:
June 3, 2022
The Sussexes reunite with the royal family for their first official event in years:
June 6, 2022
Amid celebrating Lilibet’s birthday in England, Meghan and Harry share a brand-new, super-sweet photo of her:
August 29, 2022
Meghan’s bombshell interview with The Cut debuts, wherein the Duchess of Sussex opens up about her life in Montecito, California, and addresses the “bittersweet” transition she and her husband went through after making the decision to step away from formal royal duties in 2020. We also find out that Meghan was required to give up control of her Instagram account, lifestyle blog, and even her passport (!!) in order to ~officially~ join the royal family, although she says she “never had to sign anything that restricts me from talking.” Not-ed! When discussing her feelings about the formal exit from the Firm, she also admits that it “takes a lot of effort to forgive.” *cue le dramatic music here*
She even recalls teaching her son, Archie, about the polite way to pass salt and pepper shakers across a table—aka by holding them together—which she’d learned from her friend’s mom. “She said, ‘You never move one without the other.’ That’s me and Harry. We’re like salt and pepper. We always move together.”
September 8, 2022
Harry and Meghan are already in the UK for the WellChild Awards in London when they receive the news that Queen Elizabeth II has just died at her Balmoral home.
September 10, 2022
The duo is publicly reunited with Prince William and Kate Middleton as they all greet well-wishers at Windsor Castle. According to Kensington Palace, the outing is the Duke of Cambridge’s idea, and a source at the time describes it as “an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family.”
“It’s such an extraordinary historical moment and also a deeply personal one for the family that you’d hope and think that all members of the family would unite and support [the King] especially. And perhaps some of those wounds can be healed in the process,” the source adds.
September 19, 2022
Meghan joins Prince Harry and the entire royal family for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral at Westminster Abbey. Interestingly enough, there is quite a bit of controversy surrounding the seating at the service, as Harry and Meghan do not join William and Kate in the front row. Instead, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex wind up in a corner at the end of the second row beside Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
^Awk vibes for sure….
December 8, 2022
Harry and Meghan’s highly anticipated Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan finally (!!) drops its first three episodes. When asked about the project in her October Variety cover interview, Meghan revealed, “It’s nice to be able to trust someone with our story—a seasoned director whose work I’ve long admired—even if it means it may not be the way we would have told it. But that’s not why we’re telling it. We’re trusting our story to someone else, and that means it will go through their lens.” The second installment of the Netflix show is slated to debut on December 15.
January 10, 2023
Harry's tell-all book Spare comes out, and in it, the prince gives us all the deets about how he and Meghan first met after he was impressed by a pic of her online. Afterwards, apparently the Duchess of Sussex was the first to message him on Instagram.
"Eventually, we exchanged phone numbers, and mitigated the conversation over to text, going late into the night," Harry dishes in the project, adding that he was "texting like a teenager" through the next day.
The Duke of Sussex also highlights that it was "uncanny," "surreal," and "bizarre" that this convo with his now wife began on July 1, 2016—aka what would have been his mother's fifty-fifth birthday. 🥺❤️
For a bunch of other revelatory insights from Spare, check out this handy-dandy story:
March 1, 2023
According to multiple reports, Harry and Meghan are asked to leave their Frogmore Cottage home in England. The couple's rep confirms the news to Page Six, saying, "We can confirm the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been requested to vacate their residence at Frogmore Cottage."
And according to The Sun, Harry and Meghan were actually given notice of the eviction just 24 hours after the publication of Harry’s memoir, Spare, in a move that is said to have left the duo "stunned." Plus, on top of the already bombshell news, King Charles has allegedly offered the home to his disgraced brother Prince Andrew, which has us feeling all?!?!?!?!
March 3, 2023
In much lighter news, the royal couple's bb girl Lilibet is christened by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor, during an intimate ceremony at the couple's Montecito home.
Apparently, about 20-30 guests attend at the event, including Doria Ragland, Tyler Perry (who is Lilibet's godfather), and a godmother whose name has yet to be revealed. Oh, and apparently Tyler Perry pulls out all the stops for the royal baby's big day, flying in 10-person Gospel choir to sing "Oh Happy Day" and "This Little Light of Mine" at the event.
Oh, and before you ask—yes, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton were all invited. But, no, they were not in attendance. Whomp!
May 16, 2023
Harry and Meghan face a "near catastrophic car chase" involving paparazzi in New York City, according to the Sussexes' spokesperson. The couple—as well as the duchess’s mother, Doria Ragland—had just attended the Women of Vision Awards held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom, where Meghan was recognized as one of the ceremony’s honorees.
"Last night, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi," the couple’s spokesperson relays in the statement. "This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians, and two NYPD officers," they add.
Luckily, things end up alright; But the incident only fuels the duke's anger toward the press and paparazzi—the latter of which pursued his mother, the late Princess Diana, in Paris in 1997 and caused her limousine to crash as she and her driver attempted to speed away.
And that brings us up to date! Stay tuned for more developments in Harry and Meghan’s love story.
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Peggy is Cosmopolitan.com’s entertainment writer, specializing in Leonardo DiCaprio, This Is Us, and the royals. She’s also a proud Canadian and pug lover. When Peggy’s not obsessing over Leo’s latest lover or gut size, she can be found watching old episodes of Friends or Gilmore Girls. Her dream is to one day live on a pug farm and write children’s books, with illustrations by her very talented husband Greg.
Shannon is a news writer at Cosmopolitan.com, and when she's not obsessing about Cardi B, she's thinking about Justin Bieber and still trying to memorize Beyoncé's Beychella choreography.