The insatiable appetite for updates on the comings and goings of the now-semi-royal couple Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has been whetted with rather explosive news in recent days.
The duke and duchess announced Jan. 8 that they would reduce their roles in the royal family and embark upon a new life (part time) in North America, reportedly Canada specifically.
Since the revelation, there have been talks about how the general United Kingdom reception of Meghan, a biracial American actress, and incessant British tabloid coverage might have affected their decision.
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Before they became the rebels of the royal family, the two were simply budding lovers. Below, we detail a timeline on where this love all began and some of the bumpy moments the pair have experienced over the last several years.
July 2016 -They meet.
In 2017, Meghan told Vanity Fair that she and Harry met the summer of 2016 in London.
October 2016 -Dating rumors begin.
Reports from The Sunday Express stirred rumors that Prince Harry was courting the then-"Suits" actress. He was spotted at a Halloween party in Toronto with Meghan.
Nov. 8, 2016 - Dating confirmed; backlash ensues.
Kensington Palace solidified the rumors by addressing the sexist and racist attacks aimed at Meghan, whose mother is black and father is white.
“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,” an excerpt from the letter reads.
Dec. 14, 2016 - They’re officially photographed together.
The first photos are unveiled of the prince and his future duchess, via the British tabloid The Sun. Draped in winter clothing, the couple were reportedly headed to the Gielgud Theatre in London. The day before, the tabloid said the two picked out a Christmas tree together.
January 2017- The first getaway for the couple.
Several media sources report the couple heading to Norway for a New Year's rendezvous. The pair reportedly holidayed in a secluded-yet-luxurious cabin in Tromso. Reportedly, Meghan meets Harry's sister-in-law Kate shortly after this getaway.
Feb. 2, 2017 -The future royal couple celebrate their first Valentine’s Day.
The Sun yet again publishes photos of the couple together, this time after a dinner date at Soho House in London. Unnamed sources say the couple were in their "own little world" as they dined.
May 19, 2017 - Meghan hobnobs with the royals.
Meghan is Harry’s plus-one at Ascot and Pippa Middleton’s wedding reception, according to UsWeekly. She was not invited to the church ceremony, but the reception is quite an exclusive affair at the Middleton home.
Sept. 5, 2017 - Meghan professes she’s in love with Prince Harry.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Meghan, for the first time, spoke publicly about her relationship with the prince.
“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,” the actress told the magazine.
Nov. 27, 2017 - The royal engagement is announced.
Credit: Chris Jackson
Credit: Chris Jackson
Shortly after Meghan quit her gig on “Suits” and moved to London, the rumors began to circulate about wedding bells. The confirmed news of nuptials came by way of Kensington Palace on Nov. 27, via an announcement letter. Harry and Meghan followed up the announcement with the official first photocall in the palace gardens, followed by their first joint televised interview with the BBC.
March 2018 - The future duchess has her first royal appointment.
Meghan attended the annual Commonwealth Day Service in spring 2018. It would be one of her first official engagements with the queen at Westminster Abbey.
May 19, 2018 - The royal marriage commences.
Thousands of well wishers and likely skeptics tuned across the globe the Saturday morning that Prince Harry and Meghan, eventually Duchess of Sussex, exchanged vows among celebrities, family members and royals on Windsor. The fairy tale wedding was fodder for social media and national news outlets throughout the day. Reportedly, more than 29 million Americans watched the nuptials.
Oct. 15, 2018 - The couple announce they will be royal parents.
Rumors, once again, predicted royal news to come throughout the summer of 2018. It wasn’t until Oct. 15, 2018, that the news of Meghan’s special delivery was made official by Kensington Palace.
“Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019,” according to the announcement.
May 6, 2019 - Their Royal Highness welcome a baby boy.
Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, son of Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was born May 6, 2019, at Portland Hospital in London.
June 2019 - First personal photos of Baby Archie unveiled.
To commemorate Father’s Day, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex posted a picture of little Archie on their official Instagram account, @sussexroyal. In the photo, the 6-week-old’s diminutive hand is grasping his father’s burly finger.
December 2019 - Archie’s first Christmas with the duke and duchess.
Harry and Meghan turned heads in December 2019 when the couple decided to spend the first Christmas with their little one away from the palace. The family spent the better part of the holiday and part of January 2020 in Canada for “private family time” rather than with the queen and company in Sandringham.
Jan. 8, 2020 - Prince Harry and Meghan step away from royal life.
The popular royal couple announced they would “step back” from their roles as “senior” members of the royal family, according to a statement on their shared Instagram account. In the message directed at their more than 10 million followers, the couple said they planned to transition over the next year to a “progressive new role” within the royal family.
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