The Latest on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Marriage

Catch up with Montecito's most famous couple.
prince harry meghan markle at the wedding reception
Photo: Steve Parsons - WPA Pool | Getty Images
sarah hanlon entertainment and celebrity editor the knot
by
Sarah Hanlon
sarah hanlon entertainment and celebrity editor the knot
Sarah Hanlon
Entertainment & Celebrity Editor
  • Sarah is the Entertainment & Celebrity Editor for The Knot, with special focuses on pop culture and celebrity wedding news.
  • Before joining The Knot Worldwide, Sarah was a contributing writer for Bravo at NBC Universal.
  • Sarah has a degree in journalism and resides in New York City.
Updated Aug 10, 2023

There's so much more to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's marriage than meets the eye. After stepping back from royal duties in 2020 and relocating to the West Coast, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are busier than ever—and they're often in the news. In addition to parenting their young children, Archie and Lilibet, the Montecito locals are filling their time with professional initiatives, including their partnership with Netflix and their charitable work with Archewell. Here, we look inside Prince Harry and Meghan's marriage, including their early beginnings, how they built their strong relationship foundation, and their plans for the future.

  • Prince Harry married Meghan Markle in 2018 to become the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Their royal wedding, which took place at Windsor Castle, was watched by 2 billion people around the world.
  • Known as Megxit, Harry and his wife Meghan left the royal family in 2020. Rather than fulfill their royal duties, they have other professional pursuits, including Harry's memoir Spare, a deal with Netflix, and work with their charitable non-profit Archewell.
  • Meghan and Prince Harry currently live in Montecito, California with their two children, Archie and Lilibet.
  • Despite Harry and Meghan divorce rumors, the couple appears to be stronger than ever. In August 2023, a source told Us Weekly, "They're a united front. As far as they're concerned, it's Harry and Meghan against the world."

In this article:

The Latest News on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Marriage

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on a red carpet
Photo: Kevin Mazur | Getty Images Ms. Foundation for Women

What's the latest on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's marriage? According to sources, the two are happier than ever. Despite a fresh wave of divorce rumors coming from tabloids in the summer of 2023, a source told Us Weekly they're doing better than ever. "They're a united front," the insider said. "As far as they're concerned, it's Harry and Meghan against the world."

Although they tend to keep somewhat of a low profile in California, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are keeping busy with their professional endeavors. After releasing an intimate Netflix docuseries titled Harry & Meghan in December 2022, Harry published a tell-all memoir, Spare, in January 2023. Later that year, it was announced that they acquired the rights to the popular BookTok romance novel Meet Me at the Lake, which will be produced as part of their collaboration with Netflix.

How Long Have Prince Harry and Meghan Been Married?

As of 2023, Prince Harry and Meghan have been married for five years. Their wedding took place at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018. It was a global phenomenon that captivated the world—an estimated 2 billion people minimum worldwide tuned into the broadcast of their big day.

Prior to their nuptials, the couple began dating in 2016. So, how did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet, you might wonder? In Volume I of Harry & Meghan on Netflix, the royal revealed that he saw a photo of the former Suits actress on a mutual friend's Instagram page. He asked to be connected, and the friend set them up for a date at Soho House London. After a whirlwind courtship, they announced their engagement on November 27, 2017.

Prince Harry and Meghan's Children

The Duke and the Duchess of Sussex enjoyed an eventful first few years as husband and wife, beginning with their beloved royal wedding, followed by the arrival of their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, a year later. They welcomed their second child, a baby girl, in June 2021—and there's a sentimental meaning behind their daughter's name. "Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales," a spokesperson for the couple revealed in a statement.

While privacy is of the utmost importance for Harry and Meghan's kids, they have released select photos over the years, from personal snaps to holiday cards. In some of the most recent images, both Archie and Lili can be seen with bright red hair, just like their dad.

How the Couple Built a Strong Relationship Foundation

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Photo: Samir Hussein | WireImage

Perhaps one of the most endearing aspects of Harry and Meghan's marriage is their strong relationship foundation. Together, the couple has weathered tumultuous highs and lows in the public eye, and it's clear their healthy partnership continues to grow stronger.

They Had a Commitment Ceremony Before the Wedding

The pair wanted a private moment for themselves before the fanfare of the 2018 royal wedding. "Three days before the wedding, we got married," Markle shared in an exclusive interview with Oprah Winfrey. "The vows that we had… [were] with the Archbishop of Canterbury."

Days later, the world witnessed the spectacle of the pair's public-facing wedding at Windsor Castle. In retrospect, while the commitment ceremony wasn't legal, it was still a special and lowkey moment for the couple to exchange vows on their own before the public tuned into their actual wedding day.

Harry and Meghan Supported Each Other In Private

Together, Harry and Meghan felt deep agony as their lives were dissected and attacked by the public. In one portion of their Oprah interview, Markle revealed she had lost her will to live due to the scrutiny and the unfair treatment both privately by the firm and publicly by the media. "I just didn't want to be alive anymore. That was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought," she told Oprah as she recalled sharing this emotional confession with her husband one morning.

Ultimately, she sought help and noted to all that she was relieved to sit with Oprah. "My biggest concern was history repeating itself," Prince Harry told Winfrey. "You know, for me, I'm just really relieved and happy to be sitting here, talking to you with my wife by my side because I can't begin to imagine what it must've been like for [my mother] going through this process by herself all those years ago."

More of their private hardships were explored in Prince Harry's memoir, Spare, and their Netflix docuseries, including a physical altercation between Harry and Will, tensions between Meghan and Kate, and Harry's decision to pursue therapy as a means to work through childhood trauma following the untimely death of his mother, Princess Diana.

They're Now Prioritizing Their Peace

At the end of Prince Harry and Meghan's Netflix documentary, Meghan reflected on an exercise her friend once introduced her to on New Year's Eve. Instead of making resolutions, the friend encouraged their group to pick a word to focus on for the year ahead. At the time, Meghan selected "truth." Now, she's focused on protecting her peace. "I just want peace," she explained. "Part of that is reclaiming, you know, when you've lost a huge piece of yourself, getting that back includes getting back those relationships and those friendships and things that anchor you to who you are."

Harry added, "There are times where I feel angry but I can't be that angry because I genuinely feel that I, and we, are exactly where we're supposed to be. We've made it to the other side."

Why Did Prince Harry and Meghan Leave the Royal Family?

In January 2020, Harry and Meghan stepped down from their roles as senior members of the royal family, initially with the hopes to remain on board part-time. However, their departure was somewhat bittersweet as they've since stepped down entirely from their positions within the British royal family. In mid-February 2021, the palace shared the couple's official involvement with their respective charities would be redistributed to other members of the royal family.

Markle had once previously turned down Oprah for an interview opportunity: it was while she was in the palace. "That we're on the other side of a lot of life experience that's happened," Markle explained. "And also that we have the ability to make our own choices in a way that I couldn't have said 'yes' to you then. That wasn't my choice to make. So, as an adult who lived a really independent life to then go into this construct that is different than I think what people imagine it to be. It's really liberating to be able to have the right and the privilege in some ways to be able to say 'yes.'"

Prince Harry and Meghan's Professional Life

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Photo: Christopher Furlong | Getty Images

In December 2020, the couple joined the podcast realm through Archewell Audio, a podcast production company exclusively partnered with Spotify. Although the partnership ended early in July 2023, Markle's series Archetypes had 14 episodes with stars like Serena Williams, Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton and Mindy Kaling.

The pair also signed a production deal with Netflix in mid-2020 with the intent to produce feature films, documentaries, scripted series and children's programming. In 2022, their docuseries Harry & Meghan premiered as Netflix's biggest documentary debut ever.

Then, in January 2023, The Duke of Sussex took readers into their marriage and his life in a memoir titled Spare. "I'm writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become," Harry expressed in a statement prior to its release. "I've worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story—the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned—I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think."

How the Couple's Love Story Is "Greater Than Any Fairy Tale"

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dancing at their wedding reception
Photo: Netflix

Despite the excruciating pain they've endured as members of the firm, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have both commented on how their lives transformed since they chose freedom stateside. "Our life is beautiful now, I've got a beautiful family," Harry said to Oprah. "From my perspective, all I needed was enough money to pay for security to keep my family safe."

Meghan added, "We're thriving… We've been through a lot. It's felt like a lifetime." Despite the struggles, the triumphs they've felt lately with their endeavors and relationship have been an uplifting ending for their story. "It's greater than any fairy tale you've ever read," Markle told Oprah with a smile.

With reporting by Esther Lee.

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