In his autobiography, Prince Harry has opened up about his first date with Meghan Markle, admitting that it ended in a way he now regrets. The Duke of Sussex describes how their fateful romance began after Meghan caught his eye on a mutual friend's Instagram story. After connecting with the friend, they engaged in an online conversation that lasted hours, leading to a date the following night. At the time, Meghan was in London enjoying Wimbledon and agreed to meet the prince at Soho House.
Despite being delayed by city traffic, Harry recalled their chemistry with enthusiasm: "We both had first dates where there was nothing to talk about, and now we both felt that special excitement when there's a lot to talk about. When there's nothing, there is enough time to say everything that needs to be said."
Unfortunately, the promising encounter was cut short due to pre-existing dinner plans. Reflecting on the fleeting moment, Harry wrote, "If I hadn't been late, we would have had more time. I cursed myself and rose to my feet, a short farewell hug before adding sadly, 'Whoosh, she was gone.' Compared to her, Cinderella was the queen of long goodbyes."
Following their initial dates, Prince Harry invited Meghan to accompany him to Botswana, a place he adores. During their engagement interview, he said, "We camped with each other Under the Stars, she came and joined me there for 5 days, which was so wonderful, and then we were really alone, which was so important to me. I'm sure we had a chance to get to know each other some."
Prince Harry later admitted that it was during this trip that he realized Meghan was his soulmate. The couple delved into the details of the trip in their documentary series, revealing that their adventure in Botswana happened after just two meetings. "I was amazed when she said yes," Harry recalls. "This woman whom I have met twice is coming to Botswana, and we are going to live in a tent for 5 days."
Their last public outing before their relationship was revealed was at a Halloween party in 2016. Meghan added, "He came to see me in Toronto, and our friends and his cousin Eugenie and her husband Jack, they came too. The four of us snuck out in Halloween costumes for a fun night on the town before we went out into the world where we were a couple."
In a 2021 interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Meghan revealed, "It was a post-apocalyptic theme, so we dressed up in all these very weird costumes and were able to have a fun final night out."
Meghan and Harry revealed exclusive photos from a private evening in their Netflix documentary, in which they detailed how they were notified about their impending media exposure. They chose to fully embrace what would be one of their last private dates.
