Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to marry in Spring 2018 as royals say they are 'delighted' for US actress to join the family

Robert Jobson27 November 2017

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle today ended months of fevered speculation by announcing they are to be married next Spring.

The news was confirmed this morning by a “delighted” Prince of Wales in a statement that also revealed the couple became engaged in London earlier this month.

Visiting Poundbury in Dorset the Prince of Wales told reporters he was “thrilled” and “very happy indeed.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said: “We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle

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The statement did not reveal the exact date or location of the ceremony but said further details about the wedding day will be announced “in due course.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said: “We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together.”

When Harry met Meghan - a timeline of their relationship

Confirmation of the engagement comes after an eighteen month romance between the 33 year old Prince, who is fifth in line to the throne, and the 36 year year old American actress.

A Buckingham Palace spokeman said: The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh “are delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness.”

Meghan Markle’s parents Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland also issued a statement saying they are “incredibly happy” with the couple’s engagement, adding: “We wish them a lifetime of happiness.”

Rumours are flying that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will announce their engagement soon.
PA

The statement from Clarence House added: “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. The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace.”

The news was welcomed by Downing Street and will come as a welcome distraction to gloomy news on Brexit and the economy.

Prime Minister Theresa May went to Twitter to offer her very warmest congratulations” and added: “This is a time of huge celebration and excitement for two people in love and, on behalf of myself, the Government and the country, I wish them great happiness for the future.”

Meghan Markle when she was a child with her father 

The couple’s plans appear to have been finalised at a series of last-minute meetings between senior courtiers at Kensington Palace.

Divorcee Ms Markle, whose father is white and mother of African-American descent, has described herself as “a strong, confident, mixed-race woman.”

Details of the ceremony will follow swiftly – along with huge speculation about the guest list for what is set to be the wedding of 2018.

Meghan Markle with her mother Doria Ragland 

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said in a tweet: I’m absolutely delighted to hear the news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are now engaged.

"I wish them many years of love, happiness and fulfilment – and ask that God blesses them throughout their married life together.”

Bookies said Westminster Abbey was the favourite in betting on the location, with odds of 12/1 on followed by Windsor Castle is at 2/1, and St Pauls at 5/1.

May is the hot favourite month with odds of 5/2 with April and March both at 10/3.

The statement from Meghan Markle's parents

Katie Baylis, spokeswoman for Betfair said: “It’s the announcement the world has been eagerly awaiting and after some intense speculation over the last few days, the couple have now confirmed their engagement and a Spring wedding.

How Harry and Meghan's love blossomed across the Atlantic

 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are believed to have first met in May last year when he launched the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto — the city where her TV show Suits is filmed. 

What began as a relatively low-key friendship rapidly blossomed into  full-scale romance over the summer after the pair were reintroduced in London by the fashion designer Misha Nonoo. 

As well as being the ex-wife of one of Harry’s closest Eton school-mates, she is also one of Markle’s best friends. 

Rumours of their relationship immediately set off a frenzy of media speculation and were confirmed when Kensington Palace issued an unprecedented statement in November last year condemning the “wave of abuse and harassment” directed at “his girlfriend”. After the official “outing” the couple were increasingly seen in public together. Following a successful tour of the Caribbean, Harry flew 1,700 miles to see Markle in Toronto in December last year. 

They were later spotted in London buying a Christmas tree at Pines and Needles in Battersea and photographed in the West End on their way to the Gielgud Theatre to see The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time.

A series of introductions to senior members of the royal family began as early as last autumn, when she met Prince Charles for the first time. 

They continued this year when Harry arranged for his girlfriend to get to know the Duchess of Cambridge at a private meeting in Kensington Palace.

Meanwhile, the public appearances were getting more frequent and relaxed. 

The couple spent Valentine’s Day together in London and were spotted at the private members’ club Soho House, and the following month Markle joined Harry in Jamaica at the wedding of his friend Tom “Skippy” Inskip to Lara Hughes-Young.

The first public kiss came in May when the couple were photographed at the Audi Polo Challenge, in which Harry competed, at Coworth Park near Ascot.

The same month, Markle’s close friend, the actress Priyanka Chopra, fuelled the wedding rumours by saying Markle was “very happy”.

The status of the relationship stepped up another level in September when Markle appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair and gave a remarkably candid interview in which she revealed: “We’re two people who are really happy and in love.”

A formal introduction with the Queen took place at Buckingham Palace last month.

From that moment it was a matter of when, not if.

“May is the favourite at 2/5, with April or May both at 10/3 but with the Duchess of Cambridge due to give birth in April you would expect they would wait until after the baby is born.”

Royal insiders say there has been a growing sense of urgency in Palace corridors since the pair appeared together at the Invictus Games in Toronto in September.

In the two months which followed, there have been multiple hints that the couple are set to formalise their 18-month transatlantic relationship.

Prince Harry: The Duke of Sussex - In pictures

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Her role in US TV drama Suits has now come to an end, and her apartment in Toronto is standing empty.

Last week, Meghan arrived in London and was spotted looking relaxed during a shopping trip. Her beloved dogs, Bogart and Guy, are understood to be in quarantine in London

In the past few days, a senior official from Buckingham Palace has been seen at Kensington Palace, in a breach of normal protocol.

When Harry met Meghan - a timeline of their relationship

Over the summer, it became clear Meghan’s legal affairs were being looked after by Royal solicitor Harbottle & Lewis, while planned building works at Kensington Palace raised the possibility of a new home in one of the apartments.

It has also been suggested the couple are hunting for a country retreat in either Norfolk, close to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s home Anmer Hall, or in the West Country.

This year Meghan has spent time with Kate and William, met the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and been introduced to the Queen who must give the marriage her blessing.

In terms of Royal protocol, it is unlikely that all of these things would have happened if Meghan was not set to marry into the House of Windsor.