Harry and Meghan have been married for five years now and have welcomed two children in that time (Picture: Getty Images)
So much has happened since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s fairytale wedding – with the couple celebrating their fifth anniversary today (May 19).
Since the couple got married in 2018, they have quit the Royal Family, welcomed two children, been the subject of a record breaking Netflix documentary series, and seen Harry’s controversial autobiography Spare hit the bookshelves.
Since taking the decision to step back from royal duties they have relocated to California, where they live with four-year-old son Archie and daughter Lilibet, who was born in June 2021.
Harry was most recently seen back in the UK when he attended King Charles’ coronation – although he didn’t stay for long, heading back to California to celebrate Archie’s fourth birthday, which was on the same day, May 6.
A lot has changed since the couple tied the knot – but where did it all begin?
How did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet?
Harry and Meghan – then an actress on TV drama Suits – first met in 2016.
In the first episode of their Netflix documentary series, Harry revealed that he first became interested in Meghan after seeing a video of her dancing with a Snapchat filter on her face on a friends Instagram feed.
He said he reached out to the friend to tell her he wanted to meet Meghan, and the pair ended up getting each other’s numbers, and began chatting frequently.
Meghan recounted that the couple first met when she was in London in 2016, attending Wimbledon.
She said that Harry asked her on a date in to a bar in Soho, and the pair immediately hit it off – although Meghan chided her now husband in the documentary for turning up late.
Harry and Meghan at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)
The new couple initially tried to keep their courtship under wraps, but a leak in November 2016 changed all that.
A media frenzy ensued, so Meghan and Harry had to go public.
Prince Harry appeared unimpressed, with a statement from Kensington Palace hitting out at the ‘wave of abuse and harassment’ that Meghan was facing as a result.
The statement further read: ‘Prince Harry is worried about Ms Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her.
‘It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms Markle should be subjected to such a storm.
The couple experienced a media frenzy when their relationship was revealed (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)
More: Meghan Markle Duchess of Sussex
‘He knows commentators will say this is ‘the price she has to pay’ and that ‘this is all part of the game’. He strongly disagrees. This is not a game – it is her life and his.’
Following news of their relationship, their first public appearance together came when Meghan attended a royal engagement at the Toronto Invictus Games in September 2017.
And on Monday, November 27 2017, Kensington Palace announced that they were engaged to be wed.
When did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get married?
Harry and Meghan married in May 2018 (Picture: Jane Barlow – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Harry and Meghan married in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, on Saturday, May 19 2018.
The ceremony was attended by numerous famous faces, including members of the Royal Family, foreign royalty and politicians.
A number of celebrities were present, too, including Oprah, Sir Elton John, David and Victoria Beckham, George and Amal Clooney, plus a number of Meghan’s Suits co-stars.
Prince William was best man, while Prince George was a page boy and Princess Charlotte was a bridesmaid.
From Meghan’s family, only her mother Doria Ragland was in attendance – so she mostly walked herself down the aisle, with her father-in-law King Charles (then Prince) later stepping in.
The venue was St George’s Chapel in Windsor (Picture: Owen Humphreys – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Naturally, the wedding was hugely popular – drawing crowds of royal fans and spectators to Windsor.
Hundreds of millions of people around the world tuned in to watch on TV, including 18 million in the UK and 23 million in the US – with coverage on many major news channels.
Upon marriage, Prince Harry was gifted a Dukedom by The Queen – and he formally became known as The Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel.
As a result, Meghan became The Duchess of Sussex, Countess of Dumbarton and Baroness Kilkeel.
Shortly after marrying, the couple managed to jet off to their honeymoon.
The couple waved to adoring fans on their wedding day (Picture: Aaron Chown – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
We don’t know where they went – just that their honeymoon was delayed slightly by a few days so that they could attend King Charles’ 70th birthday garden party on May 22.
Rumoured locations such as a luxury Canadian resort denied that they had made a booking, and it is claimed that only Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William knew where they went.
They had returned by June 9, though, just in time for the annual Trooping The Colour parade.
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A lot has happened since the Sussexes were wed in Windsor.
