They fell in love despite not being able to date like a normal couple.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have revealed the heartwarming details of their love story for the first time in an interview that followed their engagement announcement.
Markle told the BBC that their love story began with a blind date. The couple met in July 2016 in London through mutual friends. Harry revealed for the first time how he approached her.
"I [had] never heard of Meghan before and I was beautifully surprised when I walked into that room and saw her," Harry said. "I was like, 'I'm really going to have to up my game here.’”
Markle said that there was one simple prerequisite in a man she was looking to date: Kindness.
She asked their friend simply whether Harry was "nice," and she was told that he was. The actress added that because she grew up in America, she didn't grasp a full understanding of the prince, admitting, "I didn't know much about him."
They said they fell in love despite the fact that they were hardly able to date like regular couples.
The official announcement of their engagement came Friday morning in a tweet from Clarence House.
Four hours later, they posed together in the Sunken Garden of London’s Kensington Palace prior to speaking with the BBC.
Markle said that she was so excited when Harry proposed earlier this month that he couldn’t finish his question.
“As a matter of fact, I could barely let you finish proposing. I said, 'Can I say yes now?'"
There was no mistaking their affection for each other Monday afternoon in the Garden as they locked hands, gently rubbed arms, and never stopped showing how much they are in love.
Royal expert Victoria Arbiter explained to Inside Edition why their engagement is a historic moment for the British royal family and for America.
“She is an actress, she happens to be biracial — it shouldn’t be an issue but it is a first within the royal family," Arbiter said. "She went to Catholic school, she is American. These are all things that normally with the royal family you go, ‘Well, that is not going to work.’ This is where she is going to be such a breath of fresh air.”
Megan is 36 years old and was previously married to actor Trevor Engelson. They divorced after just two years of marriage.
The joy of the engagement was shared by the families of both Markle and Harry.
In a joint statement, Markle’s parents, who are divorced, said: "We are incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry."
Prince Harry’s father, Charles, spoke to reporters in London.
“We're thrilled for both of them," he said. "I hope they'll be very happy indeed. That's all I can say."
Queen Elizabeth II tweeted that she was “delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness.”
Prince William and his wife, Duchess Catherine, also congratulated the couple.
There was a poignant moment during the BBC interview as Harry and his new fiancée discussed the pain of not having Princess Diana at their wedding.
"It is days like today when I really miss having her around and miss being able to share the happy news, he said.
"Not being able to meet his mom, it’s so important to me to know that she’s a part of this with us," Markle said.
"I'm sure she's with us," Harry interjected. "Yeah, you know, jumping up and down somewhere else."
Prince Harry and Markle are expected to be known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after they are married, according to the British news media.
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