Harry and Meghan, the story of an irresistible passion
The couple prepares for the most anticipated wedding of the year with the blessing of Queen Elizabeth. And the memory of when Diana once advised her children: "Do what your heart tells you"
An extract from the cover story of issue 20 of Vanity Fair, on newsstands until May 23
It took only one date for Prince Harry to realize that Meghan Markle was different from all the others. The couple first met in July 2016 over a bottle of chilled rosé at London's Soho House on Dean Street. They were already following each other on Instagram and evidently they didn't mind.
A mutual friend, Violet von Westenholz, gave Harry Meghan's number, suggesting that he call her. Another mutual friend, Markus Anderson, who works for Soho House, "made sure that there were no other people in the rooms and corridors, allowing him to meet out of sight," says a friend. After several outings as a couple, Harry invited Meghan to join him on a trip to Botswana, and that's where their love blossomed. Since then, Harry said, "the stars have aligned." By royal standards, the beginning of the story between Harry and Meghan was a whirlwind of romance and emotion. Given the public profile of both, it seems incredible how they managed to keep the secret for months, letting family and friends swear the utmost confidentiality.
The two had made a deal to meet every two weeks, with Harry catching up with Meghan while filming the Suits series in Toronto.
In October, however, the liaison came to light, and at Christmas Meghan began to consider Kensington Palace as her home.
Then there was the wedding of Harry's best friend, Tom Inskip, in Jamaica. The most intimate of the prince immediately noticed: he had never been so in love before. Harry had landed on the island on a scheduled flight, while Meghan had arrived there flying on a friend's private jet. The wedding involved a three-day party and Harry had chosen to stay in a luxurious oceanfront villa in Montego Bay, not far from where Meghan had married her first husband, Trevor Engelson six years earlier. Harry and Meghan spent most of the time locked away in their mansion, with its infinity pool and private butler. At the ceremony, Meghan was introduced by Harry to his closest friends. At the party that night, when the DJ started the music, the couple celebrated by dancing, with Harry careful to limit the number of drinks and even his beloved Marlboro Lights.
Harry's mood spoiled only when a paparazzo managed to steal some shots while they were standing together on the terrace, but Meghan immediately reassured him: "What does it matter after all?".
Meghan was preparing to shoot the seventh season of Suits, and had already decided it would be her last. He knew that if the affair with Harry continued, he would have to give up his career. Harry's exes, Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas, hadn't been willing to consider this option, but Meghan had another awareness. He was older and perhaps wiser.
Meanwhile Harry was sure he had met his soul mate. At nearly 32, he was the same age as when his father Charles had married Lady Diana Spencer. Says former court cook Darren McGrady: "I remember Diana once said to Harry and William: 'Do whatever your heart tells you.' I think that's exactly what Harry is doing now. '
As in the line of succession to the throne, Harry had a duty to seek permission from his grandmother for the wedding. Decades earlier, Princess Margaret had asked the queen for a blessing to marry divorced Peter Townsend, but her sister had not granted it.
But as Hugo Vickers, historian of the royal family, pointed out last year, times have changed. "Meghan would be wrong on paper - she's older than Harry and divorced - but her positive qualities make her perfectly suited to the role of royal spouse." A correct prediction: when Harry asked his grandmother for the wedding blessing in the fall of 2017, she granted it without hesitation. I was told by one of the queen's most trusted aides that the queen was genuinely happy that Harry had found someone who could give him such peace of mind.
Despite some rumors to the contrary, there was no problem with Meghan not being noble, nor worries about her being more âgée and divorced. Very close to her nephew - after the difficult months following Diana's accident, she was able to take on a maternal role - the queen has full confidence in what Harry does. And so he went out of his way to get Meghan involved right away, inviting her to Buckingham Palace for tea and welcoming her to the family's Christmas party in Sandringham, Norfolk, a tradition until then reserved only for married couples. And beyond the gates of Buckingham Palace, we know that Meghan has conquered everyone. “The Queen is very fond of it and has also charmed the Duke of Edinburgh at Christmas. His intelligence and culture have impressed him ”, says a family friend. Even the queen's corgi fell in love with it. Harry, who always made fun of Her Majesty's dogs barking at him all his life, said that with Meghan it was love at first sight. For his part, he recommended himself with the court staff so that everyone was available and welcoming. Already during the days of courtship, Meghan had a direct line with Harry's private secretary, Edward Lane Fox, and one with the communications secretary, Jason Knauf.
As for the symbolic references, the wedding will take place at Windsor Castle, the Queen's residence and her favorite home. They told me that Harry had always had a dream of getting married in St. George's Chapel, and the Queen gave the couple carte blanche in planning the wedding. "Harry and Meghan were told there was no protocol to follow," informs a real source. "They can invite whoever they want and plan the day at will."
It is not long since the celebration of the diamond wedding of the Queen and Prince Philip, who celebrated the anniversary with a private party at Windsor Castle. There is no doubt: both the queen and her subjects hope that Harry and Meghan will also enjoy such a lasting and happy union. Ever since he was a young boy, Prince Harry has held a special place in the hearts of his people, proving to be a huge asset to the royal family. Diana told Harry to get married for love, and so he did. And Meghan reciprocates it. Best wishes to them, happily ever after.
