Harry & Meghan: A Royal Engagement

H a rr y & M e g ha n A Royal Engagement

& HARRY

MEGHAN

A Royal Engagement

As the nation rejoices, this special souvenir guide celebrates the engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Theirs is a truly romantic and unusual story that heralds the start of a new era for the British Royal Family. This fully illustrated book provides a glimpse into the lives of the Prince and his beautiful bride-to-be.

Focusing on their family background, early years and careers, it tells how two people from opposite sides of the Atlantic came together to find love. Through the shared passions that unite them, their hopes, dreams and aspirations for a long, happy life together, Harry and Meghan are a couple set to represent the modern face of royalty today and into the future.

UK ÂŁ7.99

www.pavilionbooks.com

Harry and Meghan_COVERFINAL.indd 1-3

30/11/2017 15:00

Inside cover: An official photograph of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, London, after the announcement of their engagement.

Half title page: A close up of Meghan’s engagement ring, featuring a large diamond from Botswana and two smaller diamonds from Diana’s collection.

Previous page left: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle laugh together as they enjoy the official photo call at Kensington Palace.

Title page: Harry and Meghan catch a glance at each other on the day they announce their engagement, 27 November, 2017.

Publication in this form copyright © Pitkin Publishing 2017.

Text copyright © Pitkin Publishing 2017.

Written by Halima Sadat.

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

Edited by Sarah Kiddle.

Picture research by Claire Handy.

Designed by Tatiana Losinska.

All photographs by kind permission of PA Images, with the exception of those on pages 37–41, provided by Alamy.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior permission of the publisher and the copyright holders.

A CIP catalogue for this book is available from the British Library.

Published by: Pitkin Publishing, 43 Great Ormond Street, London WC1N 3HZ, UK An imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited Sales and enquiries: +44 (0)20 7462 1500 Email: sales@pavilionbooks.com Printed in Great Britain.

ISBN: 978-1-84165-799-8

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Contents A Royal Engagement Royal Engagement Rings Royal Wedding Legacy Princess Elizabeth & Philip Prince Charles & Camilla Prince William & Catherine Prince Henry of Wales The Invictus Games Meghan: A Dazzling New Royal A Glittering Career A Passion For Change The ‘Meghan Effect’ Meghan’s Message Kensington Palace Buckingham Palace Balmoral and Sandringham Windsor Castle Highgrove and Clarence House A Life Together

6 12 14 18 20 22 24 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56

A Royal Engagement

Right: Harry and Meghan wave at the photographers as they announce their engagement on 27 November, 2017.

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The announcement that Meghan Markle is to marry His Royal Highness Prince Harry of Wales came on 27 November 2017 and, in doing so, a new chapter in the story of the royal family begins.

Meghan, as a commoner, follows in the footsteps of her future sister-in-law Catherine – and, indeed, those of Harry’s mother Diana, who was also not of royal blood – but more than that, with her American nationality and her identity as a mixed-race woman, she introduces something new and different into the royal family, something that has been described as a ‘breath of fresh air’ that will assist the monarchy as a whole in its move towards modernity and a more relevant place in the nation’s psyche.

In contrast to the 10-year relationship of Harry’s brother, Prince William, and his wife Catherine prior to their marriage, Harry and Meghan’s love affair started just 18 months before their decision to marry. Nevertheless, it was 18 months during which the couple were able to get to know each other well, thanks to many quiet evenings spent at home, just the two of them. The decision to keep their new relationship a secret from the world for as long as possible was a conscious one, as Harry knew it was important to avoid the intense media interest that was bound to follow once it was made public, along with the inevitable pressure that would then be put on their blossoming love.

The couple first met in May 2016 when Harry was in Toronto to launch the Invictus Games. Meghan – who had moved to the city when she won a part in the USA Network television series Suits – and Harry had a mutual friend, and it was she who brought them together by organising the date. On this first meeting, Harry was immediately smitten, and he says that as soon as he saw Meghan, he knew she was ‘the one’. Meghan, in turn, was impressed by the good-looking English gentleman with a sense of humour and a winning smile. However, there was more than that initial spark between them; in addition to the instant physical attraction, the pair, both of whom are keen humanitarian campaigners, soon realised they had a huge amount in common and plenty to talk about, so much so that they wanted to get to know each other a little better.

The first meeting was followed by two more, but it was when Harry, in his words, ‘persuaded’ Meghan to accompany him on a trip to Botswana that he already had planned, that their love started to grow. Sleeping under the stars, away from the world in deepest Africa, allowed the couple a chance to simply enjoy each other’s company, while laying the foundation stones for the future. Those stars, according to Harry, were ‘aligned’ and both he and Meghan had a strong feeling that their relationship ‘was meant to be’.

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Royal Wedding Legacy A royal wedding has always given the nation an opportunity to come together to celebrate.

Spring is traditionally the season of love and renewal, and Meghan and Harry have decided that May will be the month when they tie the knot to become man and wife, the start of their new life together. No doubt, the month was chosen for its more settled weather, blossoms and spring flowers, but also to co-ordinate with any pre-arranged official commitments that the couple or their guests may have. In addition, if it is the wish of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, a May date will allow for the attendance of the youngest member of the royal family, their new baby who is expected to be born in April.

St George’s Chapel, Windsor, has been the location for a number of royal nuptials and it is this church that Meghan and Harry have chosen for their special day. The decision to marry in Windsor rather than London is of special personal significance for Meghan and Harry. They have spent some time together at the castle during their courtship, in particular meeting with other family members to allow Meghan to feel at ease with her new relatives, and for Harry, there will be memories of his schooldays at nearby Eton College and visits to his grandmother, the Queen, just a short walk away from the school.

St George’s was also the church in which he was christened at the age of three months. On a more practical note, a Windsor wedding will also mean that security measures will be much easier to manage than would be the case in central London.

St George’s Chapel was the church where Harry’s father Prince Charles and his second wife Camilla Parker Bowles had a wedding blessing in 2005 and it was also the choice of Harry’s uncle, Prince Edward and his bride Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, and of Harry’s cousin Peter Phillips and his Canadian wife Autumn Kelly in 2008. Much smaller than Westminster Abbey, which seats 2,000, St George’s Chapel seats 800 guests. It has an elegant, simple interior, steeped in heraldic history, and strong royal connections, not least of which are the many former royals who have been interred in its vaults.

As a member of the royal family, Harry is entitled to marry in the chapel but in broader terms, it is one of the most exclusive wedding venues in the country, with the list of eligible persons restricted to royals, residents of Windsor Castle or the College of St George and of the realm. Located within the walls of Windsor Castle, St George’s Chapel offers a level of privacy, coupled with the intimacy of a smaller church. It is the chapel of the senior chivalric Order of the Garter and its day-to-day running is the responsibility of the religious College of St George.

Originally constructed in the early 13th century by Henry III, like many other churches throughout the country, St George’s suffered massive destruction during the English Civil War, but on the restoration of the monarchy in the late 17th century, repair works were

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Above: St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

carried out to restore it to its former glory. Queen Victoria also added to the building in the form of the Lady Chapel that had been abandoned partly built by Henry VII, and in 1925, 76 heraldic statues were placed on the external pinnacles, replacing the originals that had been removed in 1682 on the instruction of Sir Christopher Wren who disliked the Reigate stone from which they had been carved. Today, the chapel represents one of the best examples of gothic architecture in the country and its magnificent stained-glass windows date from the early 16th century to modern times.

Following the Queen’s permission for Meghan and Harry to marry in St George’s Chapel, the couple are keen be personally involved in the preparations in order to allow them to tailor their ceremony to suit their tastes and beliefs. This is likely to include involving members of the public in some way. Meghan is to be baptised and confirmed into the Church of England prior to the wedding day.

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The Invictus Games Having served in the army for 10 years and having twice been on the frontline in Afghanistan, Harry understands the pressures that soldiers face in combat zones. He also understands that life can be difficult for members of the armed forces when they return home, particularly when they have suffered mental or physical injury. The welfare of current and ex-servicemen and women is a topic that Harry holds dear, and it was with this in mind that he launched the Invictus Games – the name Invictus coming from the Latin word for ‘unconquered’ – in other words, these people may have been injured but they have not been beaten.

The idea for the games came following a trip in May 2013 to the United States, when Harry, as a patron of Landmine Free 2025, flew to Washington, DC to take part in a number of military-related charitable events, one of which was a visit to the Warrior Games in Colorado. These games were initially organised in 2010 by the US Olympic Committee as a competition for injured servicemen and women. The year Harry attended was the first one in which a British team was competing.

Harry already knew that sport was an excellent vehicle for aiding the recovery of mind and body, but when in Colorado he was impressed by the skill and competitive spirit of those service people taking part, although many had sustained terrible injuries.

He believed that something similar in Britain not only would be popular, but would also allow these injured personnel, who had once been extremely fit and active, to get back some of that which they had lost, whether it might be physical activity and selfchallenge or team spirit and camaraderie.

Having persuaded the Ministry of Defence to back him, Harry wasted no time and in March 2014, he announced that the first Invictus Games would take place in September of that year.

After a hectic few months organising and promoting the event, Left and above: Harry and Meghan’s first joint official appearance at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada.

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the games took place on 10–14 September, complete with an Olympics-style opening ceremony on a military theme and a flypast by the Red Arrows display team.

During the event, around 300 disabled competitors from 13 countries competed in athletics, archery, wheelchair rugby, road cycling, indoor rowing, wheelchair basketball, power lifting, swimming and sitting volleyball. The games were acknowledged a huge success and according to Harry ‘shone a spotlight on the “unconquerable” character of servicemen and women, their families and the “invictus” spirit’.

Since then, the Invictus Games Foundation was set up and the games have gone from strength to strength. The second Invictus Games was held in May 2016 in Orlando, Florida while in September 2017, it was held in Toronto, Canada, where Harry met up with his then girlfriend Meghan – who was living in that city at the time – for their first official joint appearance.

Harry joined Meghan and her mother Doria, plus Meghan’s friends Jessica Mulroney and Markus Anderson, in the VIP box before leaving them to give his speech at the close of the games, for which he received a standing ovation as he told the competitors it was ‘the summit of a mountain many of you thought too hard to climb’.

With the next Invictus Games due to take place in Sydney, Australia, in October 2018, Harry is certain to be as enthusiastic and as involved as ever, but now he will have Meghan at his side, providing support and assistance in this endeavour that means so much to him.

Above: Prince Harry chats with athletes from Australia during the swim training in the leadup to the Invictus Games.

Far left: Harry turns his attention poolside as he chats with female swimmers during the athletes’ training session.

Left: Prince Harry presents Mark Ormrod, who he describes as ‘incredible’ with his medal during the Rowing at the Invictus Games Toronto 2017.

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H a rr y & M e g ha n A Royal Engagement

& HARRY

MEGHAN

A Royal Engagement

As the nation rejoices, this special souvenir guide celebrates the engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Theirs is a truly romantic and unusual story that heralds the start of a new era for the British Royal Family. This fully illustrated book provides a glimpse into the lives of the Prince and his beautiful bride-to-be.

Focusing on their family background, early years and careers, it tells how two people from opposite sides of the Atlantic came together to find love. Through the shared passions that unite them, their hopes, dreams and aspirations for a long, happy life together, Harry and Meghan are a couple set to represent the modern face of royalty today and into the future.

UK ÂŁ7.99

www.pavilionbooks.com

Harry and Meghan_COVERFINAL.indd 1-3

30/11/2017 15:00