7 years of marriage, 7 remarkable milestones in the life of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

Everybody was talking about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle when they tied the knot back in 2018. Not much has changed ever since. This year, the couple celebrate their 7th wedding anniversary, and their journey continues to weave a tale. Their love story is no less than a royalty-based fan-fiction you might encounter on the internet; after all, how many of us can say that our friends will set us up on a blind date with a prince? Only the former Suits actress can. 

Prince Harry's childhood friend, Violet von Westenholz, was the reason the two met. Upon meeting in July 2016, the two felt an instant attraction towards one another that made them go official with their relationship in October later that year. Since then, the two have celebrated several milestones and, like most relationships, faced their share of challenges together as well. From the royal marriage, to the birth of their kids, to an abdication that shook the world, to their recent Netflix show, scroll below for a complete timeline of the 21st century's most talked-about royal relationship. 

1. First meeting and making it official 

While working in PR for Ralph Lauren, Violet Von Westenholz met the famous Suits actress, Meghan Markle, and became quick friends with her. Von Westenholz, a close friend of Prince Harry, later set the two up after the Prince confided in her about his dating issues. Before going on the date, the two connected with each other over Instagram, as revealed by the Prince. The two exchanged numbers and planned a date that turned into two and quickly resulted in a trip together to Botswana. The tabloids quickly caught wind of their relationship, prompting the two to go official in November, the same year after just 5 months of dating.  

2. Public spotting and important celebrations 

The couple made their first public appearance together at a Charity polo match in March of 2017; Prince Harry was playing while Meghan cheered on him from the sidelines. Two months later, Meghan was Prince Harry's plus one at the wedding of Pippa Middleton, the sister of the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton. The two celebrated Meghan's 36th birthday later that year in August together with a short trip to Botswana, Africa, where the prince introduced her to his friends. 

3. Move to london and engagement announcement 

The couple took the next big step in their relationship when the then 36-year-old actress moved to London from Toronto to be closer to her beau in November of 2017. Seven days after her big move to the UK, the two announced their engagement to the world. “His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms. Meghan Markle,” the official statement read. “His Royal Highness and Ms. Markle became engaged in London earlier this month. Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty The Queen and other close members of his family. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms. Markle’s parents.” 

Meghan's engagement ring was designed with diamonds taken from Princess Diana, Prince Harry's late mother's brooches, as revealed by Meghan in a BBC interview; the couple also recounted their proposal story in the same interview. 

4. A royal wedding 

Five months after the engagement, the two tied the knot in a gorgeous ceremony at the traditional St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on May 19th, 2018. Meghan wore a Givenchy dress designed by Clare Waight Keller with a boat neck and elegant train, which she adorned with Queen Mary's diamond bandeau tiara. While Prince Harry donned his official frock coat uniform of the Blues and Royals. Their wedding was broadcast live, with 29 million people watching and 600 guests at the ceremony, including the royal family, the couple's friends and Markle's Suits cast-mates. 

5. First child, abdication and personal struggles 

The couple took to Instagram in October 2018 to announce their first pregnancy, “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,” read the caption. Just before their first wedding anniversary, the couple welcomed their son, Prince Archie. 

In January 2020, the two shook the world when they decided to take a step back from their royal duties and planned a move to the USA, deemed controversial by most UK-based media outlets and people of the country. 

“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,” they wrote in a statement on Instagram in a post that has been deleted now. They made their move to California in March that year. 

In November 2020, Meghan wrote about her miscarriage that she suffered over the summer in an essay in The New York Times. 

6. Second child and the famous Oprah interview 

The pregnancy with Princess Lilbet was announced in February 2021 by their mutual friend on his Instagram. In June 2021, the couple welcomed their second child, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor in honour of her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, and her middle name was a nod to Princess Diana. 

In March 2021, the couple had a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey about their decision to step back as royals and what their lives were like in the palace. Post that, the two made multiple appearances back at the Palace for the celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee and again following the Queen's passing. 

7. Memoir, podcast, Netflix show and more 

In September 2020, just after the COVID-19 lockdown was lifted, the two announced a Netflix deal signed by them for documentaries and docu-series. A couple of months after that, the two signed a deal with Spotify for a podcast. These deals were a way for the two to earn financial independence. 

Harry and Meghan released their Netflix documentary series, detailing their love story, in December 2022. A month after that, Prince Harry released his memoir, Spare, sharing more details about his and Meghan's love story and relationship with the royal family.

Since then, the two have been spotted vacationing in Portugal, attending Beyoncé's concerts and living their best lives in California.