From Hello To Happily Hitched When Harry Met Megan

We go back to where it all began for the gorgeous couple.

TIMELINE

EARLY JULY, 2016 Harry and Meghan are set up on a date in London by a mutual friend, believed to be Harry’s childhood friend Violet von Westenholz. “Because I’m from the States, you don’t grow up with the same understanding of the royal family,” Meghan admitted later. “I didn’t know much about him, so the only thing that I had asked [our mutual friend] when she said that she wanted to set us up was, ‘Well, is he nice?’ The pair meet for a drink and quickly realise that there’s a spark.

OCTOBER 31, 2016 British tabloids are the first to report the relationship, claiming Harry is “besotted” with Meghan and that he’s “happier than he has been in many years”.

NOVEMBER 8, 2016 In a remarkable move, Harry issues a sternly worded statement confirming Meghan as his girlfriend. Normally media-shy, Harry, through his press secretary, writes, “This past week has seen a line crossed… his girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment,” and complains of racial and sexist undertones in some reporting. Heartbreakingly, the statement also includes the line, “Prince Harry is worried about Ms Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her.”

DECEMBER 14, 2016 The first-ever photo of the couple is published by a British newspaper, showing the pair out on a date night in London.

JANUARY 26, 2017 The pair take a vacation together to see the Northern Lights. A friend of Harry’s says he “put a lot of thought into it and wanted to make it as romantic as possible”.