As fans eagerly await the birth of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's first child, here's a look back at how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex got together and their background story.
US TV actor Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, sixth-in-line to the British throne, met in July 2016 after they were introduced through friends. In September 2017, she told Vanity Fair: "We're in love." They married less than 10 months later.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was the focus of a media frenzy months ahead of the event, held on May 19, 2018. The traditional royal ceremony included for the first time elements of African American culture, such as a gospel choir, in reference to Meghan's roots. Several high profile Hollywood celebrities were among the guests — friends of the former actress.
Prince Harry and Markle were photographed holding hands for the first time in September 2017, during a wheelchair tennis competition at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. The games for disabled or wounded soldiers and veterans were created by Harry.
The youngest son of Prince Charles and the late princess Diana, Prince Henry of Wales — familiarly known as Prince Harry — was born in 1984. His childhood was dominated by his parents' messy divorce and Diana's tragically early death. The family is shown pictured together in 1995, with Harry on the left side next to his mother, and his brother Prince William next to their father.
Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Harry was only 12 at the time, and his brother William, 15. This iconic picture shows the young princes bowing their heads as their mother's coffin is carried out of Westminster Abbey. The tragic event deeply affected Prince Harry.
Harry publicly revealed how much he had struggled throughout his life. In support to a mental health campaign, he revealed in an interview with the Daily Telegraph that he came "very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions." He added: "Shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but also my work as well."
The impulsive prince appears to have inherited his mother's ability to connect with people, as well as her sense of mischief. Often photographed with different attractive women, he was long labelled a "playboy." He once told Newsweek that he "wanted out" of the Royal Family.
Photographs of him wearing a swastika at a costume party that were published in 2005 caused outrage. The same year he entered the army, as many other royals have done, and spent 10 years serving in the British forces. He later admitted that his military service "was the best escape I've ever had" from the constant public attention.
Following his military career through which he served twice in Afghanistan, Harry has turned into one of Britain's most popular royals, not just within the country but globally. Like his mother, he uses his public profile to raise awareness for different causes, including a recent campaign about mental health with William and Kate.
Britain barely knew who Meghan Markle was when her name started appearing on newspapers' front pages in October 2017. Born in 1981 in Los Angeles, as an actor she portrayed a lawyer in the hit TV show "Suits." News coverage on Prince Harry's girlfriend was hard-hitting, however, including comment pieces with "racial undertones" and "outright sexism and racism" online, said Harry's office.
Part of the criticism came from her former marriage with film producer Trevor Engelson, from 2010 to 2013. Markle also had her own lifestyle blog, thetig.com, which she shut down shortly after she came into the royal family's spotlight. On it, she had proudly declared her independence: "I've never wanted to be a lady who lunches — I've always wanted to be a woman who works," she wrote.
Like the prince, Markle does humanitarian work. She's an ambassador for the Canadian charity "World Vision Canada," which works for children in developing countries, and she also campaigns for women's rights with the UN. The actress has a degree in communications.
"The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness," Buckingham Palace said after the wedding announcement. Like all royals in direct line of succession, Harry and Meghan's union had to be approved by the Queen. Her blessing shows how much monarchy has changed: Not so long ago, a royal marrying someone who was divorced would have been inconceivable.
