Prince Harry, fifth in line in the Royal Family, is set to marry American actress Meghan Markle, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Monday, ending months of intense media speculation and rumours.
Markle, an actress, a humanitarian campaigner and lifestyle blogger, will become a senior member of the royal family as the wife of one of the monarchy’s most popular figures.
The couple posed for photographers on the grounds of Kensington Palace hours after their engagement was announced by Harry’s father, Prince Charles.
“Thrilled, over the moon,” said Harry as he and his fiancée posed for photographs. Asked when he knew Markle was “the one,” he replied: “The very first time we met.”
Prince Charles and his wife Camilla said in a statement: “We’re thrilled. We’re both thrilled. We hope they’ll be very happy indeed.”
The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms. Meghan Markle. pic.twitter.com/zdaHR4mcY6
— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) 27 November 2017
Harry’s grandparents, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, said they are “delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness.”
Harry’s older brother, Prince William, and his pregnant wife Kate welcomed Markle to the Royal Family.
“We are very excited for Harry and Meghan,” they said in a statement. “It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also tweeted his congratulations and best wishes to the couple Monday.
Congratulations and best wishes to you both! ????Félicitations et mes meilleurs vœux à vous deux! https://t.co/7oaMFrmVqu
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) 27 November 2017
The announcement by Prince Charles said the couple became engaged in London earlier this month and the wedding will take place in Spring of 2018.
The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, the statement said.
Markle, 36, who is divorced, met Harry, 33, in July 2016 in London “through friends,” the actress told Vanity Fair magazine in September.
Though the couple have been photographed together from afar in the past, they made their first public appearance together at the Invictus Games in Toronto in September 2017.
Markle, who has lived in Toronto for several years, is best known for her role on the Toronto-filmed legal drama Suits. She has appeared in smaller film roles that include Horrible Bosses and Remember Me.
Outside of acting, Markle founded a lifestyle blog called TheTig.com — which closed down in April without explanation — and has lent her celebrity status to humanitarian causes.
She has campaigned with the United Nations on gender equality, written in Time magazine about girls’ education and the stigma surrounding menstruation, and has travelled to Rwanda as global ambassador for the charity World Vision Canada.
With files from The Associated Press, Reuters and CBC News
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