Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Celebrate a Major Milestone This Year — and It’s One Many Doubted
Rather than unraveling as many predicted, their relationship has endured, ultimately helping to reshape what a modern royal life looks like.
After a blind date brought the two together, and years of the press scrutinizing their marriage, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be celebrating a defining milestone this summer: 10 years of being together. Rather than unraveling as many predicted, their relationship has endured, ultimately helping to reshape what a modern royal life looks like. It began with a discreet meeting in London, followed by a royal wedding, a controversial exit from the UK, and a new beginning in the US. The upcoming anniversary has renewed attention to how quickly the duo recognized something lasting in one another and how decisively they decided to build a life together on their own terms.
The pair were introduced to one another by a mutual acquaintance and began exchanging messages on July 1, 2016. They arranged their first date two days later at Soho House in London. Markle had traveled to the UK to attend Wimbledon. There was immediate chemistry, and it prompted plans for a second date on July 4. Given it was Independence Day in the US, Harry surprised her with a Fourth of July-themed cupcake, a thoughtful nod to her American roots. Later that summer, the pair united for a camping trip to Botswana.
Reflecting on his first encounter with Markle, Harry wrote in Spare, “She was wearing a black sweater, jeans, heels. I knew nothing about clothes, but I knew she was chic.” He was nervous after arriving late and seeing the former actress for the first time. “I’d seen so many photos of her from fashion shoots and TV sets, all glam and glossy, but here she was, in the flesh, no frills, no filter… and even more beautiful. ‘Heart-attack beautiful.” The moment was overwhelming for the Prince, who found that “conversation, pleasantries, the Queen’s English, all [becoming] a challenge.”
Both Harry and Markle have claimed that within days they became aware that their relationship was rare. That realization led to a quick courtship and an engagement just over a year later. In their Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, the couple revisited the proposal, sharing never-before-heard details. It took place at their Nottingham Cottage, on the grounds of Kensington Palace. Harry recalled. “I did pop a bottle of champagne while she was greasing a chicken. And that slightly gave the game away.” Markle also shared a video she sent to her friend, Jess, believed to be Jessica Mulorney, where she excitedly said, “Oh my God, Jess. It’s happening… Oh my God. He told me not to peek.”
Harry described setting the scene with electric candles in the garden before getting down on one knee. Markle remembered her immediate response: “I was just like, ‘Yes!’ I was just so joyful and excited.” That moment eventually led to their royal wedding in 2018 and their life now with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. As their relationship reaches the 10-year mark, the Sussexes’ story remains one they continue to tell in their own words, fast-moving, deeply personal, and still closely watched after all these years.
