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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Rosaleen Fenton

Meghan Markle's secret phone call ahead of Harry's proposal - and snap of him on one knee

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have shared details about their romantic engagement, including a photo of the moment Harry got down on one knee.

The couple's docuseries, titled Harry & Meghan, focuses on the pair's love story as well as their troubled relationships within the Royal Family.

In the show, Harry told how he proposed to Meghan outside in a romantic candle-lit garden - and shared a snap of Harry down on one knee during the evening picnic before he asked Meghan to marry her.

In the show, he told how he 'wanted to do it earlier' but needed to secure permission from the Queen before asking Meghan, so couldn't do it outside the UK.

The royal admitted that he "gave the game away" by popping a bottle of champagne as she was "greasing a chicken" before they headed outside.

Are you looking forward to watching Harry & Meghan? Have your say in the comment section below.

(Netflix)
Harry proposes to Meghan (Netflix)

Speaking of his proposal, Harry explained: "I did pop a bottle of champagne while she was roasting a chicken and that kind of slightly gave the game away.

"She was like, 'You never drink champagne, what's the occasion?' And I was like, 'I don't know, I just had it like, lying around,'" he joked, adding that they shared the special moment with her dog Guy whom she had flown over from America.

"In the middle of the North garden, overlooked by the staff flats, I got 15 of those electric candles," Harry recalled, while Meghan admitted: "He told me not to peek," before filming herself in hushed tones telling friend Jess: "It's actually happening!"

Meghan also shared a video of a call to a pal while Harry was setting up his romantic surprise, and she can barely contain her excitement. Clearly trying to keep the call secret from Harry, she can be heard whispering: "Oh my God Jess, Jess, it's happening, it's happening. He told me not to peak."

The couple were seen posing with Meghan's dog Guy just moments after the Duchess said yes.

They shared a blurry snap of the moment Harry kneeling on a blanket holding a ring box in one hand and Guy's collar in the other while a bunch of white roses sat on the floor in front of him.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Queen Elizabeth in 2018 (Getty Images)

Their friend Lucy Fraser told how the couple held a little engagement party before the public announcement, where Harry and Meghan dressed in penguin onesies.

She said: "They were so happy and they were going to keep it quiet because it was going to be announced a few weeks later."

Instead of opting for glamorous ensembles, as they did at their engagement photocall and official engagement photos, the couple were much more casual.

"So we had a little engagement party and everyone was dressed in animal onesies. Meghan and Harry were in matching penguin onesies because penguins mate for life and they were so sweet. And we had so much fun," Lucy added.

Engagement

Harry got down on one knee at their cottage earlier this months (BBC)

Meghan and Harry first opened up about the romantic proposal during their engagement interview, which they sat for just hours after telling the world their happy news.

Harry told the BBC at the time that he popped the question on a "standard, typical night" in their Kensington Palace cottage while the two attempted to cook dinner.

The happy couple, joined BBC presenter Mishal Husain for their first TV interview, which Meghan has now dubbed an "orchestrated reality show”.

Meghan said at the time it was "sweet, natural and very romantic" and just a "standard typical night in" for the pair.

Speaking about the moment he got down on one knee, Meghan said: "Just a cosy night, it was - what we were doing just roasting chicken and having …"

Interrupting his fiancee, Harry said: "Roasting a chicken, trying to roast a chicken."

Meghan continued: "Trying to roast a chicken and it just - just an amazing surprise, it was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee."

The actress admitted she "barely" let her husband-to-be finish proposing before she said: "Can I say yes now?"

Harry added: "She didn't even let me finish, she said can I say yes, can I say yes and then were was hugs and I had the ring in my finger and I was like can I - can I give you the ring? She goes - oh yes the ring.

"So no it was - it was a really nice moment, it was just the two of us and I think managed to catch - catch her by surprise as well."

Meghan claimed their relationship was not a "whirlwind romance" and revealed she has already met the Queen "a couple of times" - with Harry adding that the corgis took to her "straight away".

Engagement

It comes as Harry and Meg discussed how they met - and the moment they knew they had fallen in love.

In the bombshell Netflix show, the Duke of Sussex said he met the Duchess on Instagram, after previously saying they were set up on a blind date

The first photo Prince Harry saw of Meghan Markle was a snap of the actress with a dog filter on (Netflix)
A sweet shot of Archie looking at a photo of Diana (Netflix)

In a joint interview to announce their engagement previously, they claimed they met in a blind date after being set up by a friend.

"We were introduced, actually, by a mutual friend - we'll protect her privacy - but it was literally through her and we met once and then twice, back to back, two dates in London last July, beginning of July, and then it was about three, maybe four weeks later that I managed to persuade her to join me in Botswana," Harry previously claimed in their TV interview, which aired hours after their royal engagement was confirmed.

"And we camped out with each other under the stars and she came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic," he added.

"So then we were really by ourselves, which was crucial to me to make sure we had the chance to get to know each other."
When asked whether it was a set-up, both Harry and Meghan laughed.

"Yes, it was definitely a set-up - it was a blind date," said the former Suits actress at the time.

"It was a blind date for sure," added Harry.

But now the couple have told how they met over Instagram - and the first photo Prince Harry saw of his future wife was a snap of Meghan with a Snapchat dog filter on.

The couple then moved on to FaceTime calls, and enjoyed a first date at 76 Dean Street in Soho, while trying to get their relationship under grabs.

The pair said this selfie captured the moment they decided to give their relationship a go, on their second date, at Soho House in London (Netflix)

The first episode, Meghan's friend Lindsay Jill Roth said that in the summer of 2016 Meghan 'had a few different trips planned, and she was just going to be free.'

Speaking about the first time he saw her, Harry says: "Meghan and I met over Instagram. I was scrolling through my feed and someone who was a friend had this video of the two of them, like a Snapchat,."

'Oh gosh, isn't that whole thing, it's got like doggy ears,' Meghan interjects, laughing

'That was the first thing, "I was like who is that?",' Harry said, with Meghan adding: 'That's ridiculous.'

This set things in motion with Harry messaging their common friend to get to Meghan - while the Duchess of Sussex admits she had planned a summer being single and 'had a career life and a path and then came H.'

The couple’s first date lasted an hour and they had a “great chat”, they revealed in the first episode.

Meghan said: "I called him that evening and I was like ‘I’m leaving the day after tomorrow, do you want to grab dinner tomorrow night?’

"And I’m sure he thought it was so forward and American. I’m sure he told me it was so forward and American.”

A picture is shown of Meghan nuzzling into Harry as Meghan tells the documentary: "There was one photo. We just wanted to capture the feeling of just sitting in that little restaurant and going ‘Oh my gosh. We were going to give it a go’.”

Harry said: "That was when it just hit me. I was like, OK, this girl, this woman, is amazing, is everything that I’ve been looking for.

"And she’s so comfortable and so relaxed in my company.”

Meghan said: "He had a list apparently of what he was looking for.”

She said it was an "extensive” list, and Harry said: “Let’s not go there.”

Harry declined to share the list on the Netflix show.

The first dramatic trailer for the Netflix offering dropped unexpectedly last week, with another coming at the start of this one.

The trailer for the much-awaited show featured several photos of Meghan and Harry throughout the years, including wedding snaps and photos of them on holiday.

The second set of episodes will drop at the same time next week and are expected to feature even more drama - with the date set to clash with the Princess of Wales's carol concert in memory of the late Queen.

It dropped while The Prince and Princess of Wales were in Boston ahead of William's Earthshot Prize ceremony, and he rushed back to London to hold crisis talks with his dad King Charles ahead of the show's release.

A senior royal source said: "There is a completely united front from the King and his family concerning the numerous attempts to privately make peace with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which sadly have once again resulted in the other side wishing to air their repeated grievances to the world.

"If there is a need to respond to anything in the upcoming series then you can be assured that response will be swift and robust."

What are your thoughts on Harry & Meghan? Have your say in the comment section below.

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