Prince Harry’s relationship with Meghan Markle took the world by surprise, and even his closest family members, the Prince and Princess of Wales, were caught off guard by the news. In his 2023 memoir Spare, the Duke of Sussex recalls sharing the details of his new romance with Prince William and Kate, a moment that left the royal couple stunned.
Harry reveals that during a dinner with William and Kate, they had already sensed that something was amiss when he casually mentioned, “there’s a new woman in my life.” Their immediate reaction was one of curiosity, with the royal couple asking, “Who is she?” Harry, initially hesitant, urged them to keep it a secret before offering more details.
He then shared that she was an actress, to which they responded with an intrigued “Oh?” He added, “She’s American,” followed by another “Oh,” before revealing that she starred in Suits. At this point, Harry recalls, “their mouths fell open,” and after a brief exchange of looks, Prince William exclaimed, “[Explicit] off?”
Though initially confused by William’s colorful response, Harry quickly learned that the royal couple were actually huge fans of Suits and had been “regular – nay, religious – viewers” of the show. Harry, amused, writes that he had assumed his brother and Kate might not warmly welcome Meghan into the family. Instead, he found himself worrying that they would be hounding her for an autograph.
The royal couple bombarded him with questions about his then-girlfriend, reflecting just how taken they were by the news.
Harry and Meghan’s relationship began in 2016 when they were introduced through a mutual friend. A year later, they announced their engagement, and in May 2018, they married at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. However, less than two years later, the couple stepped back from their royal duties, moving to the United States for a new life.
Despite their marriage and family, Harry’s relationship with his brother, Prince William, and his father, King Charles, has become strained over the years. Tensions within the royal family deepened following allegations aired by the Sussexes, and Harry recently shared in a BBC interview that his father has stopped speaking to him. The rift between Harry and William traces back to early conflicts surrounding Meghan’s relationship with the Princess of Wales ahead of the Sussexes’ wedding.
