What a day. You can read the full report by the Guardian’s Robert Booth here:
It started with an exciting announcement from Kensington Palace.
The Prince of Wales has announced the engagement of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle. pic.twitter.com/rtlAnFCWTf
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) November 27, 2017
Then the couple posed for photos.
Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle are "thrilled and happy" to be engaged. pic.twitter.com/HBz30SbZVE
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) November 27, 2017
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gave a 20-minute interview, which you can watch here:
You can share your joy at the royal engagement, or any other emotion, on the Guardian website.
Thanks for following today’s action.
Have a peaceful evening.
Actor Patrick J Adams, who plays Markle’s on-screen partner in the TV show Suits, has joked he feels cheated by the engagement.
Adams also sent his best wishes to the couple, and said Prince Harry is a “lucky man”.
Playing Meghan’s television partner for the better part of a decade uniquely qualifies me to say this: Your Royal Highness, you are a lucky man and I know your long life together will be joyful, productive and hilarious. Meghan, so happy for you, friend. Much love.
— Patrick J Adams (@halfadams) November 27, 2017
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Still nothing from Donald Trump, but not everybody has managed to get their congratulations message right.
DUP leader Arlene Foster has apologised to the couple and the Duke of Cambridge after sending her congratulations to the wrong prince. The message also mis-spelt Ms Markle’s first name.
The MP has now corrected the mistake.
Apologies to TRHs Princes William & Harry for tweet error on my account earlier. I stopped tweeting personally a long time ago. Genuine typo by a member of staff. Guilty of tweeting too fast. There goes any chance of an invite!! :-) AF
— Arlene Foster (@DUPleader) November 27, 2017
You can now watch the full interview here:
Prince Harry said Meghan and his late mother, Princess Diana, would have been “thick as thieves”.
I think she would be over the moon, jumping up and down, so excited for me, but then, as I said, she would have probably been best friends – best friends with Meghan.
You know, it is days like today I really miss having her around and miss being able to share the happy news. But, you know, with the ring and with everything else that’s going on, I’m sure she’s with us.
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When asked about the ring, which is decorated with diamonds from Princess Diana’s collection, Markle said:
The inclusion of that and, obviously not being able to meet his mom, it’s so important to me to – to know that she’s a part of this with us.
I think in being able to meet his aunts... and different people who were so important to his mom, I’m able to, in some way, know a part of her through them and of course through him.
It’s incredibly special. And you know to be able to have this [the ring] which sort of links where you come from and Botswana which is important to us. It’s perfect.
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Dogs came up a lot in the big interview.
Prince Harry said the Queen’s corgis took to Markle straight away.
The prince joked:
I’ve spent the last 33 years being barked at, this one walks in, absolutely nothing...
Markle said:
[The corgis were] just laying on my feet during tea, it was very sweet.
When asked if she would bring her own dogs to the UK, the actor said:
Well I have two dogs that I’ve had for quite a long time, both my rescue pups. And one is now staying with very close friends and my other little guy is – yes he’s in the UK, he’s been here for a while.
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Markle revealed the prince designed the ring he gave her.
Harry said:
The ring is yellow gold because that’s her favourite, and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana and the little diamonds either side are from my mother’s jewellery collection to make sure that she’s with us on this – on this crazy journey together.
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Here’s a quick dispatch from my colleague Robert Booth:
Meghan Markle has described as “disheartening” and “discriminatory” some of the media coverage she received as Prince Harry’s girlfriend because it centred on her racial background.
In an interview to mark their engagement announced on Monday, Harry also said the couple were “totally unprepared for what happened” in terms of the coverage, which forced him to take the rare step last year of attacking the British press for introducing “racial overtones” into the reporting of his relationship with an American actor.
Markle, whose mother is African American and father is white, said the extent of media interest had been “a learning curve and said “I did not have any understanding of what it would be like”.
“At the end of the day I am proud of who I am and where I have come from and we have never put any focus on that, we have just focused on who we are as a couple.”
The couple, who will marry next spring in what a royal source said would be a “happy church wedding”, revealed how Prince Harry proposed at Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace on “a standard typical night in for us” while they were roasting a chicken for dinner.
Markle said it was “just an amazing surprise, it was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee . . . I could barely let you finish proposing. I said ‘can I say yes now?’”
“Then there were hugs and I had the ring in my finger and I was like can I give you the ring? She goes – oh yes the ring.”
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Markle said meeting the Queen was “incredible”.
“To be able to meet her through his lens, not just with his honour and respect for her as the monarch, but the love that he has for her as his grandmother, all of those layers have been so important for me,” she said.
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First interview with the couple
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been speaking to the BBC’s Mishal Husain about their relationship.
The couple revealed they met on a blind date after being matched by a friend. The prince had “never even heard of” Markle before the date, but said he was “beautifully surprised” when he met her.
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Just under five minutes until the BBC airs its interview with the couple.
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Princess Meghan ... the remainer?
Nigel Farage, look away now. Meghan Markle appears to be a remainer.
On 2 July last year, thousands protested against the Brexit vote in central London. Meghan Markle seems to have been among them. That day, she posted a photo on Instagram showing a sign reading: “If EU leave me now, you take away the biggest part of me.”
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Still no word from the US president but Justin Trudeau in Canada has offered his sincere congratulations.
Markle has a connection with Canada as Suits is filmed in Toronto and she has lived there as a result. Additionally, Harry and Markle’s first public appearance as a couple was at the Invictus Games in the city.
Le premier ministre Justin Trudeau offre ses sincères félicitations et ses meilleurs vœux au prince Harry et à Meghan Markle. 🇨🇦 🇬🇧 https://t.co/YxOg3KjyNi
— PMcanadien (@PMcanadien) November 27, 2017
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Here is a video the Guardian has made about Meghan Markle:
Their marriage will bring into reality what the British establishment lacked the imagination to even conceive of as possible 17 years ago – that a senior royal can love, and marry, someone whose ethnic heritage is not just different to his own, but the heritage that has always been most othered in Britain – black and African.
The royal family plays a largely symbolic role in our society, so it’s the symbolism of this engagement that interests me. I struggled growing up with the feeling that the monarchy were fundamental to Britishness, but that the Britishness they represented was one that excluded me.
This exclusion mattered. It made other people perceive being truly British, and being black, as incompatible identities. It represented a giant taboo. Every government that I can remember made some attempt, rhetorical at least, to acknowledge and protect racial diversity. The family at the apex of our society was doing anything but.
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No plans for bank holiday
This is not the news people wanted to hear (not that it makes much difference to us journalists who will all have to work whatever) but Downing Street has said there are “no plans” for a bank holiday on the day of Prince Harry’s wedding.
When William and Kate were married there was a bonus bank holiday but the difference in this case is that William is a likely future king while Harry is not.
Markle’s on-screen father in Suits, Wendell Pierce, has tweeted his congratulations. He is perhaps the coolest person to have publicly offered his good wishes to date (no offence to Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, Philip Hammond, Fearne Cotton, Ronan Keating etc). Pierce, who plays Robert Zane in Suits and was also Bunk in the Wire, wrote:
Congratulations to my TV daughter Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on the news of their wedding engagement. Harry you have her TV Father’s blessing. Robert Zane approves @Suits_USA
— Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) November 27, 2017
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The ring, like the outfit, is a self-assured choice, with three diamonds and no coloured stones. This differs from Diana’s sapphire ring, worn by the Duchess of Cambridge, and Sarah Ferguson’s ruby ring.
The jewellery expert Susan Rumfitt says the ring, designed by Harry using two diamonds from Diana’s collection and one from Botswana, fits with tradition. She compares it with the Queen’s engagement ring from 1947, made using a stone from Prince Philip’s mother’s tiara.
“To use a piece of family jewellery is a traditional idea,” she said. The choice of diamonds, meanwhile, is both fashionable and traditional. Rumfitt said:
The current fashion is for diamond engagement rings. But it’s very traditional as well.
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Stephen Bates, formerly religious and royal correspondent of the Guardian, writes that Meghan Markle is not so different from royal brides in days of yore, and that the Windsors have become accustomed to the intrusive publicity that accompanies such events.
Time moves on, and although we can expect much comment on Markle’s acting career, her Americanness, mixed heritage, even before getting to speculation about how to become a first-time mother in your late 30s – such things are novel these days neither to most families, nor even to the royal family.
It is thought that George III’s long-suffering wife, Charlotte, who had a German background, may also have may have had mixed-race ancestry. And their son the Duke of Clarence – later William IV – lived with the Irish actor Dorothea Jordan for 20 years and had 10 children with her, until he was reminded that he might become king one day and if he wanted a royal pension he ought to find a more suitable wife. He ditched her for the minor German princess Adelaide, who was 30 years his junior ...
Having an actor in the family is not the social stigma it was in old William IV’s day either: Markle is sure to be a hot property for agents and producers across the world now, if she chooses to continue her career. And why not, though she may have to be a bit careful about the roles she chooses from now on.
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Prince Harry designed the ring that Markle showed off to photographers this afternoon, using diamonds that belonged to his mother, Princess Diana.
The two outside stones came from the late princess’s personal collection, with the centrepiece a large diamond from Botswana. The country holds special significance for Harry who has visited many times since he was a child and is a place where the couple have spent time together over the past year and a half, Kensington Palace said.
The band is made of gold and the ring was made by Cleave and Company.
By designing his bride-to-be’s engagement ring using jewels that belonged to his mother, Harry is following in the footsteps of his grandfather.
The Duke of Edinburgh designed an engagement ring for the Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, in 1947. The Duke had the ring made by the jewellers Philip Antrobus Ltd, using diamonds from a tiara belonging to his mother, Princess Alice of Greece.
When Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, he gave her Diana’s famous sapphire and diamond engagement ring. He hid the priceless heirloom in a rucksack so he could pop the question on holiday in Kenya.
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Will Meghan need a visa to join Harry?
Will Meghan Markle, an American national, need to apply for a visa to join her soon-to-be spouse in the UK? Downing Street declined to comment to reporters who asked the question at this morning’s lobby briefing and directed the question to the House Office.
The Home Office “does not comment on individual cases” but pointed the Guardian towards the rules for family visas, which are needed if you wish to remain in the UK with your spouse or fiance.
The decision is usually made within eight weeks and will cost £993, or £1,583 if Meghan decides to use the premium service. There are restrictions, including if you cannot prove your knowledge of English or your spouse does not meet the minimum income requirement of £18,000 or cash savings above £16,000, but that is unlikely to be an issue for the couple.
It is not clear which visa Meghan is currently using to be in the UK, but if she is here on a visitor visa, under the official system, she would need to leave the UK in order to apply for her family visa.
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Website of Meghan coat designer crashes after appearance
Hysteria ensues.
Meghan appeared for her first photocall as Harry’s fiancee in a white coat by the Canadian brand Line the Label, as well as a dress by Parosh.
Immediately after the appearance, Line the Label’s website crashed because of the numbers of people trying to access its site.
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Still no word from Trump.
He’s sent three tweets in the last 45 minutes. Washington DC is five hours behind UK time.
As previously discussed, the diplomatic course of action would be to congratulate them. But Markle did once call the president of the US “misogynistic”.
What will he do?
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Here’s a few more pictures of the happy couple in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace:
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Here’s a close up picture of the engagement ring – and it’s a biggie.
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A large media crowd has gathered outside Kensington Palace, the dormitory for the younger royals, with royal fans also gathered politely out of the view of the cameras.
At one point a cheer went up from a crowd gathered by the fence of the palace when the couple apparently appeared briefly in the grounds.
Averil Edwards, from Chicago, and Melanie Edwards, from St Louis, were on their way to visit the palace’s Princess Diana exhibit.
“I just found out ... it’s exciting!” Averil said.
“It’s great how he protected her too when all of the press controversy was going on,” she added.
Tony Appleton, from Chelmsford, Essex, was standing close to the TV crews in full town crier regalia, with a self-made scroll proclaiming the engagement: “I had a little phone call this morning, very early. I can’t disclose my source but I was up here outside the palace at 8am, had my scroll ready, to make the announcement.
“I did a cry outside Buckingham Palace about 9.30-10am, before I got told off by police.”
Tony Appleton, self appointed town crier from Chelmsford, Essex, is among the royal fans outside Kensington Palace pic.twitter.com/5hf9vmfue1
— Damien Gayle (@damiengayle) November 27, 2017
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Ring update here from ITV’s royal editor:
We have just been told Meghan’s ring made from 3 stones: one from Botswana (where couple holidayed recently) and 2 diamonds from his mother Diana’s personal collection
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) November 27, 2017
The first pictures of Harry and Meghan’s engagement photocall have landed. Here’s a selection.
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Harry and Meghan appear together for first time as engaged couple
Harry and Meghan have appeared for a photocall in the gardens of Kensington palace Dressed in a navy blue suit, Harry appeared holding Meghan’s hand. She was dressed in a white overcoat.
Assembled reporters shouted questions at the couple. Asked how he proposed, Harry replied: “That will come later.”
“Was it romantic?” another reporter asked.
“Of course it was,” Harry said.
He said he was “thrilled” to be engaged, while Meghan said she was “so very happy”.
Asked when he knew Meghan was “the one”, he replied “the very first time” they met.
She was asked to show reporters the ring and obliged.
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Harry and Meghan to talk to BBC
Jonathan Munro, the BBC’s head of newsgathering, has confirmed Harry and Meghan will be interviewed by Mishal Husain on behalf of all broadcasters, and it will air at 6pm.
To confirm, @MishalHusainBBC will interview Prince #Harry & #MeghanMarkle today on behalf of all broadcasters. See it across @BBCNews, 6pm.
— Jonathan Munro (@jonathancmunro) November 27, 2017
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Will Trump be invited to the wedding?
He has yet to tweet today, and the prolific social media ranter Donald Trump faces a dilemma.
The diplomatic course of action, as the leader of Britain’s closest ally, would be to congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. However, the future princess has been critical of the US president, branding him “misogynistic”.
The prospect of Trump attending the ceremony is an unlikely one. With the level of protection that surrounds an American president, the inclusion of Trump would give security chiefs a headache as they work to police the high-profile event.
Trump’s appearance could also spark mass protests.
When Theresa May offered Trump an early invite for a state visit, the decision proved controversial with polls suggesting up to two million people would take to the streets to demonstrate should the trip go ahead.
In 2011, the then US president, Barack Obama, and the first lady, Michelle Obama, were not invited to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding, reportedly because of the added security cost. But they were feted with a state visit to the UK a month later.
Should Trump travel to the UK for a state visit, it would be expected that the newly royal Markle would meet him and join guests at the state banquet. But Markle, who backed Hillary Clinton for president, suggested in a television interview in 2016 that she would leave the US for Canada if Trump won.
She said: “We film Suits in Toronto and I might just stay in Canada. I mean come on, if that’s reality we are talking about, come on, that is a gamechanger in terms of how we move in the world here.”
Markle told Larry Wilmore’s Nightly Show in the US: “Yes, of course Trump is divisive.
“Think about just female voters alone. I think it was in 2012, the Republican party lost the female vote by 12 points. That’s a huge number and as misogynistic as Trump is and so vocal about it, that’s a huge chunk of it.”
For the 1981 wedding of Harry’s parents, the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer, Ronald Reagan did not attend but his wife, Nancy Reagan, did. This could be an option for Harry, who has already met the current first lady, Melania Trump.
The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, will be expected to receive one of the sought-after invites, along with other Commonwealth leaders from across the globe.
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The UK Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, wished Harry and Meghan well, after party members booed when reporters asked him about the engagement.
After he gave a speech in Glasgow, Corbyn ignored the booing by activists and said: “I wish them well, I hope they have a great time and great fun together, and having met Harry a couple of times I’m sure they’re going to have a great deal of fun.”
Corbyn added: “I really do admire the way that Harry and his brother have drawn attention to mental health conditions all across the country.
“I wish him well, thank him for what he has done on mental health, hope they have a great life together.”
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Details of the venue and timing of the wedding are expected to be released on Tuesday with aides only saying it will be “a happy church wedding”.
Harry is understood to have told his close staff two weeks ago that he wanted to make the engagement public today and planning has been under way since then. The couple got engaged this month in London.
The delay in making the announcement was partly due to Markle needing to finish filming on Suits, which she did the week before last. The pair are due to give a broadcast interview this evening after posing for photos this afternoon outside Kensington Palace, where they will live in the two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage.
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You can share your joy at the royal engagement, or frustration at its domination of the news agenda, elsewhere on the Guardian website.
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Given that Markle is not a UK citizen, assuming the normal rules reply, she will have to get a visa to get married in Britain.
The Press Association says:
The rule is that all non-European nationals must obtain a visa if they want to come to the UK in order to marry. Markle could apply for a family visa if she wants to live with fiance Harry in the UK for more than six months.
Fees range from £993 to £1,583. Decisions by the Home Office can be made on the same day via the premium service or sometimes take up to 12 weeks.
There is unlikely to be any hold-up for the future HRH.
It also says that it is not a given that Markle will become a British citizen.
When the Canadian Autumn Phillips married the Queen’s grandson Peter Phillips, she said: ‘I’m happy being Canadian and I’m proud of where I come from. So I’ll keep my passport.’
Their children, Savannah and Isla Phillips, are said to hold dual British and Canadian citizenship, which would pave the way for dual citizenship for any children Harry and his bride might have.
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Outside Buckingham Palace this morning hundreds of tourists were gathered for the changing of the guard, but news of the engagement had apparently not yet filtered through. Those present had to be told of the happy news.
“I’m happy for him, that’s about it really,” said Deryck Toney, who was sightseeing while on holiday from Virginia. “I think if he’s in love with her and she’s in love with him they should go on and be married and live a happy life.”
Jessica Parsons, from Los Angeles, and her friends looked up Harry and Meghan on Google before giving their opinion. “It’s exciting that he’s engaged to an American, I think that’s every American girl’s dream,” she said.
“Now there’s hope for us Americans, for American girls,” she added, but a friend quickly pointed out that the next eligible royal bachelor, Prince George, was some years away from an engagement.
Francis Essel, from Ghana, said he was in the UK for the first time. He said he was enjoying the changing of the guard. Asked about Prince Harry’s engagement, he said: “I don’t know much about him.”
The one Briton the Guardian was able to find was a tour guide who had been showing Essel and others from his party the sights. “Personally I couldn’t care less, but for my job I have to take an interest,” she said.
“I hope it will never be on the front page when there are so many other important things happening. I bet Theresa [May] will be pleased; we’ve got a royal wedding as a distraction.”
Nevertheless, she said she had nothing against Harry, and it was a good thing that his marrying a mixed race woman would introduce a bit of diversity into the royal family. But, she added: “He’s the spare anyway, he’s not important. He’s not even the spare now, he’s way down the line.”
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Republic, a campaign group calling for the abolition of the monarchy, put out a statement that, in its brevity, dripped with distain.
“Congratulations,” Graham Smith of Republic said.
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The tributes are pouring in.
The prime minister, Theresa May, says “this is a time of huge celebration for two people in love”.
I would like to offer my very warmest congratulations to HRH Prince Harry and Meghan Markle upon their engagement.
— Theresa May (@theresa_may) November 27, 2017
This is a time of huge celebration for two people in love and, on behalf of myself, the Government and the country, I wish them great happiness for the future. https://t.co/Sfx76X98BW
The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who is likely to wed the couple, wished them “many years of love”.
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.
— Justin Welby ن (@JustinWelby) November 27, 2017
The foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, took time out from exposing British citizens to increased jail terms overseas to offer “huge congratulations”.
HUGE congratulations to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle - fantastic news! Here's to a happy and long life together https://t.co/pdaoOMv9EG
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 27, 2017
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, wished the pair a lifetime of happiness together.
Congratulations to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Wishing them a lifetime of love and happiness together.
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) November 27, 2017
The former Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, who will presumably be interested in American Markle’s immigration status, also offered congratulations.
Congratulations to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle! https://t.co/q12u2c60Ye
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) November 27, 2017
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Meghan Markle will become a duchess or princess after she weds Prince Harry, the Press Association reports.
Tradition dictates that royal men receive a title when they marry, with Harry expected to become the Duke of Sussex.
On the morning of his wedding, the prince is likely to be given a dukedom by his grandmother, the Queen. His new wife would become both an HRH and a duchess after saying her vows.
But Harry – whose full name is Prince Henry of Wales – could turn down a title. In this case, Meghan would be known as HRH Princess Henry of Wales. She is not entitled to be Princess Meghan, though this may be how she becomes known in the media and to the public.
It is likely that Harry will accept the Queen’s offer of a dukedom as is the convention, like his brother, Prince William, who was made the Duke of Cambridge, and his uncle Prince Andrew, who became the Duke of York.
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Who is Meghan Markle?
Meghan Markle is an American actress best known for her role in the US TV series Suits. She rose to fame playing the law student Rachel Zane in the legal drama after parts in CSI: Miami, the sci-fi show Fringe and movies such as Remember Me and Horrible Bosses.
The 36-year-old Californian is a global ambassador for World Vision Canada and campaigns for gender equality in her role as a women’s advocate for the UN. She has her own clothing line and had a fashion and lifestyle website thetig.com.
In her own words, she said she was “an actress, a writer, the editor-in-chief of my lifestyle brand The Tig, a pretty good cook, and a firm believer in handwritten notes”.
In what was seen as a sign of Markle getting ready to marry into the royals, she brought an abrupt end to her blog in April 2017. She removed all posts and closed the site, posting a message that began: “After close to three beautiful years on this adventure with you, it’s time to say goodbye to The Tig.” But she gave no explanation as to why she had made her decision.
In September 2017, her engagement to Harry looked set when she appeared on the cover of the US magazine Vanity Fair and talked about her relationship.
“We’re two people who are really happy and in love,” she said.
She was born on 4 August 1981 to her clinical therapist mother, Doria Radlan, and her TV lighting director father, Thomas Markle. She grew up in Los Angeles, and studied at a girls’ Roman Catholic college. Her parents divorced when she was six.
Markle has written about her mixed heritage – her father is caucasian and of Dutch and Irish descent and her mother is African American – and how it created “a grey area surrounding my self-identification”.
Markle graduated from Northwestern University in theatre and international relations.
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Markle’s parents, Doria Radlan and Thomas Markle, wished their daughter and Harry “a lifetime of happiness”, adding: “We are incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry.
“Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person. To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents.”
Harry’s gran, the Queen, was one of the first to express her delight at the announcement.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh both said they were “delighted” for their grandson and his bride-to-be, and “wish them every happiness”.
His dad, Princes Charles, told reporters at a series of appearances in Dorset that the development was “very good” and added: “Thrilled for them both. They’ll be very happy indeed.”
Harry’s brother and sister-in-law, Prince William and Kate, 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.”
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Welcome to live coverage of the announcement that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are engaged.
Clarence House revealed the betrothal in a brief statement. “His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle,” it said.
Social media and news organisations exploded with joy, disdain, excitement and in some cases antipathy.
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