Harry and Meghan met through a mutual friend and got to know each other online, talking via Instagram, and when they met for the first time, it did not go as planned.
Harry and Meghan were introduced through a mutual friend and their relationship started online (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Prince Harry’s first brush with Meghan Markle was a fleeting one, as he reveals in his tell-all book Spare.
He was instantly captivated after spotting her on a friend’s Instagram story, leading to an intense online conversation that lasted for hours and culminated in arranging a date at Soho House the following night. Harry saw his mother in Meghan, the late Princess Diana, which he has spoken about openly.
Despite being held up by London’s infamous traffic and arriving late, their connection was undeniable, reports Daily Express US.
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Harry recalls the excitement of having too much to say and not enough time. In his memoir, he wrote: “If I hadn’t been late, we’d have had more time. I cursed myself, got to my feet. A brief goodbye hug.”
He added: “Poof, she was gone. Compared to her, Cinderella was the queen of long goodbyes.”
Harry and Meghan traveled to Australia for a Royal Visit and that’s when they felt a shift, that the Royal Family were jealous of them, which they’ve discussed publicly (Image: Getty Images)
Their budding romance led to an invitation from Harry for Meghan to join him in Botswana, a place dear to him.
During their engagement interview, Harry said: “We camped out with each other under the stars. She came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic.
He explained: “So then we were really by ourselves, which was crucial to me to make sure that we had a chance to get to know each other.”
Harry had an epiphany during a special journey, realizing Meghan was the one for him, which he elaborated on in their Netflix docuseries, entitled Harry & Meghan.
Harry spilled the beans on their romantic escapade, which happened after just a couple of dates.
“I was astonished that she said, ‘Yes,'” to going on the trip, Harry recalled with amazement. “This woman, that I’ve really met twice, she’s coming to Botswana, and we’re gonna be living in a tent for five days!”
Before their romance hit the headlines, the duo’s incognito Halloween bash in 2016 was their last hush-hush rendezvous.
Meghan dished to Ellen DeGeneres in 2021 about their last night out before the world knew they were a couple.
The Duchess explained: “He came to see me in Toronto and our friends and his cousin, Eugenie, and her husband Jack, they came as well, and the four of us snuck out in Halloween costumes to have one fun night on the town.