Milestones which have kept Harry and Meghan in the news
A week after his father’s coronation comes another milestone for Harry – five years married to Meghan. Kerry Parnell looks at a timeline of their married life.
Lifestyle
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What a difference five years makes. This week, half a decade ago, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married in Windsor Castle.
On May 19, 2018, the gospel choir sang, Harry and Meghan beamed and The Sun newspaper pronounced, “Kisstory – Harry and Meg’s historic change for the monarchy”.
“This beautiful woman literally tripped and fell into my life,” Harry told the BBC. “The fact that she will be unbelievably good at the job part of it as well is obviously a huge relief to me because she’ll be able to deal with everything else that comes with it.”
It didn’t turn out that way – five years on, the Sussexes have severed all ties with the Royal Family and are never out of the headlines, for less happy reasons. We take a look at the timeline of their marriage:
2018
May: Wedding bells
Harry and Meghan’s wedding in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018, was watched by the world. It seemed like the dawn of a new era – a glamorous, modern, young royal couple joining the Firm. However, Meghan later told Oprah Winfrey she felt like she was having an “out of body experience” during the ceremony. She said, “I think we were both really aware … this wasn’t our day. This was the day that was planned for the world.”
October: A big announcement Down Under
When Harry and Meghan toured Australia and New Zealand a few months later, they also announced Meghan’s pregnancy with Archie. The couple were a smash hit in Oz with their down-to-earth ways and heartfelt speeches. However, they claimed in their Netflix documentary it went a little too well and when they returned to the UK, instead of being congratulated, Harry said the palace felt they were “stealing the limelight”.
2019
May: Archie is born
Having moved into Frogmore Cottage and faced criticism for its renovation costs, Harry and Meghan announced the happy arrival of Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor on May 6, 2019. “It’s magic. It’s pretty amazing. I have the best two guys in the world, so I’m really happy,” said Meghan.
October: Not happy
However, it turned out Meghan was anything but happy and during their tour of South Africa, she told reporter Tom Bradby she was not OK. “Thank you for asking because not many people have asked if I’m OK, but it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes,” she said.
2020
January: Megxit
After taking “family time off”, in Canada, Harry and Meghan made the announcement they were stepping back as senior royals. “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” they said on Instagram.
March: Last engagements
The new role turned out to be none at all. Returning to the UK for their last official engagements in March 2020, Harry and Meghan looked like movie stars when they arrived in the rain for the Endeavour Fund Awards, followed by a less happy appearance at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.
July: Move to Montecito
Having launched Archewell, the couple made their next move to Montecito, California, and Meghan revealed the sad news she had suffered a miscarriage. “Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few,” she wrote.
2021
March: Oprah interview
Having announced their second pregnancy a month earlier, Harry and Meghan revealed to Oprah they were expecting a girl. But that’s not all they told – the duo talked about “that row” with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, alleged a member of the Royal Family “was concerned about Archie’s skin colour”, and said Meghan did not get any support for her mental health problems.
June: Lilibet arrives
On June 4, 2021, the couple announced the arrival of daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten Windsor. “Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honour her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales,” they said in a statement.
2022
June: Return to the UK
The couple returned together to Britain to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, for the first time in two years. They also took Lilibet to meet her great-grandmother, the Queen.
September: The Queen’s funeral
Three months later, on September 8, the Queen passed away. Harry and Meghan put on a united front with the now Prince and Princess of Wales, greeting wellwishers in Windsor. For a moment, it looked like there could be a reconciliation.
December: Netflix bombshells
Hopes of a truce were dashed, however, when the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan aired and the pair outlined their treatment within the Royal Family. “I wasn’t just being thrown to the wolves, I was being fed to the wolves,” Meghan said.
2023
January: Spare publication
Harry followed up with his sensational autobiography Spare, in which he did not spare anyone. Accusing Camilla of leaking stories, Harry wrote, “Shortly after our private summits with her, she began to play the long game.” His father did not comment, but his rental agreement at Frogmore was terminated.
May: The Coronation
After a lengthy “will he or won’t he attend” process, Harry finally RSVPd yes to his father’s coronation on May 6. It was a flying visit – he watched the ceremony in Westminster Abbey, then headed straight back to the airport to fly home in time for Archie’s fourth birthday, without even changing his Dior suit.
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