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Source: Getty Images | Steve Parsons<\/p>\n
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leaving Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018, in England.<\/p>\n
April 19 2025, Published 12:03 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Prince Harry and Meghan Markle\u2019s love story<\/a> began when they were set up on a blind date in 2016. They married at St. George’s Chapel on Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018. Or so we thought. Markle once shared that she and Harry got married privately three days before their widely watched royal wedding<\/a>. The intimate ceremony, void of any prying cameras and fanfare, was just for them. The revelation, which came during the couple’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, surprised many.<\/p>\n Article continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Markle shared that the secret wedding was arranged in their backyard, initiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury. As reported by People magazine,<\/a> she said, “Three days before our wedding, we got married, no one knows that but we called the Archbishop and said, ‘This thing, this spectacle is for the world, but we want our union between us.'” As reported by Us Weekly<\/a>, the Duchess of Sussex added, “So the vows that we have framed in our room are just the two of us in our backyard with the Archbishop of Canterbury.”<\/p>\n Article continues below advertisement<\/p>\n Meghan said they \u2018got married\u2019 before the official royal wedding by sharing private vows with the Archbishop. And that they framed the vows and have it their home, I believe we got a glimpse of said vows during their Netflix series. #Meghanmarkle<\/a> #HarryandMeghan<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/e5fiBJDqan<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Tamron Brown (@brown_tamron) April 2, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n After their Oprah interview aired, a source close to the couple clarified that while they had a secret wedding ceremony, they were legally married on May 19 during their royal wedding. In the sit-down, Markle also shared why she felt it was the right time to share the same. She said, “As an adult who lived a really independent life, to then go into this construct that is different from…what people imagine it to be. It\u2019s really liberating to be able to have the right and the privilege, in some ways, to be able to say, \u2018Yes, I\u2019m ready to talk.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below advertisement<\/p>\n Meghan Markle and Prince Harry reveal that they were married by the Archbishop of Canterbury three days before their televised wedding. pic.twitter.com\/iitYkUTH0i<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Pop Crave (@PopCrave) March 8, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n She added that it felt good \u201cto be able to just make a choice on your own and just be able to speak for yourself,” as reported by the Town and Country magazine<\/a>. Harry and Markle reportedly also kept their engagement under wraps for months. According to royal experts Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand in their 2020 book Finding Freedom, the couple had gotten engaged three months before they publicly announced the news in November 2017. Harry shared that he had proposed to Markle in the comfort of their home.<\/p>\n Article continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Speaking of the proposal, Markle said, \u201cIt was \u2014 what we were doing? Just roasting chicken\u2026Trying to roast a chicken and it \u2014 just an amazing surprise. It was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee.\u201d The couple shared that at the time of their engagement, they had been together for around a year and a half. According to Scobie and Durand, their connection was instant, so much so that they were already exchanging ‘I love you\u2019s’ within weeks of meeting, as reported by Us Weekly<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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