On May 19, 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary and in that time there have been a series of royal highs and lows—from their dramatic split from the monarchy to joyous welcoming of their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Since their relationship became public in late 2016, both Harry and Meghan have spoken warmly of their romance, providing details of its origins in interviews and media projects.
The most detailed account of the couple's first date was provided by the prince, most notably in his 2023 memoir, Spare.
From his running late to Meghan's Cinderella exit, Harry recounted the event in all its fairytale romance for his audience to read for themselves.
Here, Newsweek looks back at how Prince Harry remembers his first date with Meghan Markle.
Anniversary Introduction
In his memoir, Harry told readers that he had first become aware of Meghan through a mutual friend's Instagram story. After asking the friend to connect them, the prince said that he and Meghan began an hours-long conversation that ended with the pair arranging a date the following evening.
The then-actress was visiting London to attend the Wimbledon Championships and agreed to meet Harry at Soho House.
After arranging the date, Harry said he reflected on how "surreal" it was that he made such a connection on July 1, 2016, his mother, Princess Diana's birthday.
Prince Harry in Spare
"It occurred to me how uncanny, how surreal, how bizarre, that this marathon conversation should have begun on July 1, 2016. My mother's fifty-fifth birthday."
Running a Bit Late
Traveling from the country to meet Meghan in London's Soho for their date, Harry revealed that he had been caught in traffic and was left flustered, worried that she might decide to leave before he could arrive.
"I apologized. Profusely. I couldn't imagine many people had been late for this woman," he said of his arrival, going on to provide a glowing description of his "heart-attack beautiful" future wife.
Prince Harry in Spare
"At last I arrived. Red-cheeked, puffing, sweaty, half an hour late, I ran into the restaurant, into the quiet room, and found her at a small sitting area on a low velvet sofa in front of a low coffee table. She looked up, smiled"
Too Much to Say
Harry told readers that he found it hard to process that he was on a date with someone as beautiful as Meghan, but that this soon subsided and they had a meaningful discussion about their passions and interests.
"The initial awkwardness was gone, the warmth from our texting returned," he wrote, going on to say that there was "too much to talk about" by the time their evening together ended.
Prince Harry in Spare
"We'd each had first dates on which there was nothing to talk about, and now we both felt that special thrill when there's too much to talk about, when there isn't enough time to say all that needs to be said."
Cinderella Moment
In the prince's memory, as quickly as the date began it was soon over.
"I have dinner plans," he said Meghan told him as she packed up her things.
"If I hadn't been late, we'd have had more time. I cursed myself, got to my feet. A brief goodbye hug," he said, going on to compare her exit to Cinderella.
Prince Harry in Spare
"Poof, she was gone. Compared to her, Cinderella was the queen of long goodbyes."
Though the couple didn't make plans to see each other again on the date, Harry said that later that night, they spoke on the phone and arranged to meet at the same spot the next evening. Meghan remembered later in an interview that that was where they decided they were going to make a go of things together.
Their relationship became public in late 2016, and their engagement was announced a year later on October 27, 2017.
The couple married in a large ceremony at St George's Chapel in Windsor on May 19, 2018, which was attended by all senior members of the royal family and watched by millions around the world.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan Markle and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
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