A timeline of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's romance
Royal wedding bells are in the future!
Kensington Palace officially announced the engagement of Prince Harry to American actress Meghan Markle on Nov. 27.
And while royalists can prepare for a royal wedding in spring 2018, let's look back at the romance between these two:
July 2016: They meet
The couple met through friends in London last summer, Markle told Vanity Fair this fall, though it hasn't been confirmed as to when they officially started dating.
November 2016: Prince Harry releases a telling statement
After several rumors surrounding the "Suits" star and the red-headed royal led to Markle being followed and harassed, Prince Harry took matters into his own hands. In a rare move, Harry released an official statement from Kensington Palace, both referring to Markle as his "girlfriend" and condemning those harassing her.
"It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm," the statement read. "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."
The telling moment of chivalry marked a new stage in Harry's dating life. Markle became the first of Harry's girlfriends to be so publicly acknowledged.
December 2016: Celebrating the holidays together
Things got even cuter when Markle made her way across the pond last December. The pair picked out a Christmas tree together at a local lot and were photographed together for the first time while attending a production of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" in London's West End.
March 2017: Jamaican vacation
The couple attended a friend's wedding in Jamaica together and stayed for a brief vacation afterward.
May 2017: First public appearance
Markle cheered on her man at the Audi Polo Challenge in Ascot, England. Markle was spotted greeting Harry with a hug and a kiss following the match.
May 2017: Pippa Middleton's wedding
It was the royal event of the season this past spring when Kate Middleton's younger sister, Pippa, wed James Matthews. Though Markle didn't attend the ceremony, she was all smiles when spotted arriving at the wedding receptionwith Harry.
August 2017: Birthday getaway
The couple jetted off to South Africa over the summer to celebrate Markle's 36th birthday. They were rumored to have gone on a safari and even camped out for the occasion.
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September 2017: Vanity Fair piece
Markle made a big statement of her own in the October issue of Vanity Fair. The actress spoke about her romance with Harry for the first time.
"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," she told the magazine. "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."
September 2017: Invictus Games
After months of staying out of the spotlight, the couple made a public debut in a big way at the Invictus Games. They both attended the opening ceremony, while sitting separately, but then teamed up to watch the wheelchair tennis match a couple days later. The couple held hands and whispered to one another, not hiding their PDA.
November 2017: Moving in
After filming wrapped on Markle's final season of "Suits," she was spotted moving across the pond. Markle was seen out and about in London days before her engagement news broke.
November 2017: Engagement confirmation!
It's official! Kensington Palace confirmed the news that Markle and Harry had gotten engaged in early November on Monday, Nov. 27. The statement revealed that couple plans to wed in Spring 2018 and that the Queen is "delighted" by the news. Harry also asked the permission of Meghan's parents prior to popping the question. The statement revealed that the two will live together in Nottingham Cottage on the Kensington Palace grounds.
For more on the royal couple, watch the clip below!
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