Entertainment
20 Times Prince Harry's Love For Meghan Markle Made Hearts Flutter Around The World
Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson Collection/Getty Images
No couple is absolutely perfect, but there sure are some that seem to fit the bill. One of them resides across the pond on the grounds of a literal castle and have given the world a love story for the ages. They’re not afraid to show their feelings for one another either, as evidence by the many times Prince Harry has showed his love for Meghan Markle.
The prince and former Suits actress met in 2016 through mutual friends, as Markle shared with Vanity Fair in a 2017 interview. Their romance was fairly low-key and they kept things private in the beginning, although any couple at that level of public scrutiny is going to draw attention and, of course, criticism. At the time, Markle told Vanity Fair she leaned on Prince Harry for support: "It has its challenges, and it comes in waves — some days it can feel more challenging than others. And right out of the gate it was surprising the way things changed. But I still have this support system all around me, and, of course, my boyfriend’s support."
Prince Harry has had her back every step of the way since then too, and we often see that exhibited through his sweet and adorable displays of affection. And here are just a few of the most swoon-worthy moments between the lovebirds.
When Prince Harry Called Out Dangerous Practices
There is routine criticism in the life of any famous person, but sometimes things get out of hand. That was the case early on when Prince Harry publicly requested that people leave his new girlfriend alone, according to Variety.
"His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment. Some of this has been very public — the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social-media trolls and web-article comments," Prince Harry said in a statement released by the palace in November 2016. "Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her."
The statement continued, "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."
When Prince Harry Asked Tabloids To Back Off
In addition to pointing a finger at the press, Prince Harry flat-out told the press they needed to stop, a bold statement for a royal. The November 2016 comments released by the palace said:
He has asked for this statement to be issued in the hopes that those in the press who have been driving this story can pause and reflect before any further damage is done. He knows that it is unusual to issue a statement like this, but hopes that fair-minded people will understand why he has felt it necessary to speak publicly.
When Prince Harry Introduced Meghan Markle To His Family
It's always nerve-wracking to meet the family and how much more so when that family is royalty? Prince Harry eased Markle into the undoubtedly stressful process, reportedly having her meet Kate Middleton first in January 2017 before she had to go face-to-face with the Queen, Prince Charles or even Prince William, according to The Sun.
When Prince Harry Helped Meghan Markle Learn The Royal Ropes
Even early on in their relationship, Prince Harry wasn't about to let Markle just figure out all the intricacies of the royal lifestyle on her own. Back in 2016, according to Us Weekly, he had a team of people set up inside Kensington Palace to help her navigate the needs of a such a high-profile relationship. "There have been times where Meghan’s been unsure [of protocol], and having a direct line to Harry’s most trusted aides has been a godsend," a supposed friend of Prince Harry's told Us Weekly at the time.
When Prince Harry Introduced Meghan Markle To His Friends
In March 2017, Prince Harry reportedly took Markle along as his date to a friend's wedding in Jamaica, according to The Telegraph; they were reportedly seen with arms around one another on what was thought to be there first "official" event together as a couple.
When Prince Harry Took Meghan Markle On A Festive Date
What's one element of any rom-com set around the holidays? A scene of Christmas tree shopping (and dragging the thing home.) Prince Harry and Markle had a real-life rom-com date when he took her shopping for his tree in south London in 2016, according to The Sun, and it was reportedly the first time they'd appeared together in public.
When Prince Harry Gave His Beloved A Sweet Smooch
In July 2018, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a sweet smooch very publicly on the stage following a charity polo match that Prince Harry participated in for his nonprofit Sentebale, according to TIME. Markle was on hand to present the trophy to the winning team and got a kiss from her hubby when she handed it off.
When Prince Harry Allowed Some PDA Early On In Their Relationship
Prince William and Kate Middleton are famously refined in public and rarely display affection. Not so for Prince Harry and Markle; just a few months into their relationship, in May 2017, he was spotted by paparazzi giving her a quick kiss after she attended a different charity polo match he played in, according to Us Weekly.
When Prince Harry Included His New Wife In His Wedding Toast
At their glamorous royal wedding reception in May, 2018 Prince Harry reportedly took a few moments to get emotional about his new wife and their new life. According to the Daily Mail, in a toast he made the sweet comment, "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."
When Prince Harry Supports Meghan Markle's Voice & Passions
Being a member of the royal family means sometimes keeping your opinions to yourself. But Prince Harry knows Markle is deeply passionate about some of her ideals, like feminism, and doesn't seek to silence her on them. Even on her personal webpage on the royal family's website, her beliefs stand out in bold type: "I am proud to be a woman and a feminist," her page says, quoting a speech she gave to the UN on International Women's Day in 2015.
When Prince Harry Sweetly Shows His Affection
It has to be hard for this affectionate couple to keep to themselves when on official business. But, sometimes, their desire to be close just breaks through. Like when Prince Harry sweetly rubbed Markle's back during their attendance at the WellChild awards, according to Hello! Magazine. You can watch the affectionate gesture in this sweet video posted on Instagram.
When Prince Harry Recognized His Wife's Grace
Wedding planning — for a royal wedding — and preparing for a new, different normal is fun and difficult all at once, and Prince Harry recognized just that in a sweet comment reportedly made during their wedding reception. According to Harper's Bazaar, in a toast Prince Harry said, "[You] navigated everything with such grace," adding, "we make such a great team."
Whenever Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Hold Hands
Prince Harry and Markle are well-known for their PDA and it seems they truly love to arrive to events hand-in-hand. For example, they did so at Prince Louis' christening, according to INSIDER, and most recently at the premiere of The Lion King in London, which Markle sweetly called a "date night," according to People.
When Prince Harry Extended A Special Invitation To His Love
If meeting the family is a big deal, spending Christmas with the family is monumental. Back in 2017, Prince Harry took his then-fiance home for the holidays, where she appeared with the family on the way to Christmas service. As TIME noted, "While the royal family attends a Christmas Day service at Sandringham every year, it’s unusual that someone who has not yet married into clan would get the invitation." Prince Harry already had a lot of confidence in his girl!
When Prince Harry Rerouted His Plans To Be With Meghan Markle
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were still dating, they were a bi-continental couple, with Prince Harry based in London and Markle shooting Suits in Toronto, according to Vanity Fair. In December 2016, that was apparently too much time and distance apart for Prince Harry. One day, when he was supposed to be jetting back home after an official trip to visit the Caribbean islands, he instead took a detour up to Canada, where he visited his girlfriend at work, according to The Sun.
When Prince Harry Gushed About Meeting Meghan Markle For The First Time
After their engagement in November 2017, Prince Harry and Markle gave an interview to the BBC, during which they discussed how they met. It was a friend who set them up on a blind date, and although Prince Harry had never heard of the actress before, he shared, "I was beautifully surprised when I walked into that room and saw her. There she was sitting there, I was like 'I'm really going to have to up my game.'"
When Prince Harry Talked About Falling In Love
Prince Harry turned into every sweet schoolboy when he described to the BBC what it was like to fall in love with Markle:
The fact that I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly was sort of confirmation to me that all the stars were aligned. Everything was just perfect. It was this beautiful woman just sort of literally tripped and fell into my life ... and I know the fact that she'll be really unbelievably good at the job part off it as well.
When Prince Harry Planned A Thoughtful Vacation
While hanging out at a castle might sound like a pretty great vacation to most of us, for the royals it's all part of the gig. So vacation time really has to be something special to give them a break from reality. In January 2017, Prince Harry reportedly planned a getaway trip for the two of them to travel to Norway and see the Northern Lights, and a source told The Sun, "He'd put a lot of thought into it and wanted to make it as romantic and special as possible."
When Prince Harry Took Meghan Markle To His Special Spot
Bostwana has always held a special place in Prince Harry's heart, ever since his father took him there after his mother's death, according to People. So it should be no surprise that in order to get to know Markle, he took her there to spend some time away from everything and everybody, as he once shared with the BBC.
About a year later, the couple returned to the country, this time as a public couple, where Markle reportedly met many of Prince Harry's friends and they spent more time getting to know one another privately, according to E! News.
When Prince Harry Announced His Son's Birth
Prince Harry lauded women in general when his son, Archie, was born in May 2019, telling reporters, "How any does what they do is beyond comprehension." But, while wearing a gleeful smile, he also gave props to his beloved. "I'm so incredibly proud of my wife," he said in an on-camera interview to announce the birth of their first child together.
