Prince Harry knew Meghan Markle was ‘The One’ as happy couple reveal engagement ring in official photocall
MEGHAN Markle showed off her sparkling engagement ring as her fiancé Prince Harry revealed he knew she was The One “the very first time we met".
The smitten royal designed Meghan's ring himself with two diamonds belonging to his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
The Suits star stroked Harry's arm as they walked hand in hand for their first appearance in public since the announcement of their engagement.
Standing in The Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, the happy couple beamed in front of the world's press gathered outside.
Wearing a white coat by Canadian brand Line the Label and a dress by PAROSH, Meghan said she was "so very happy, thank you" to be engaged to Harry.
The prince said he was "thrilled, over the moon" adding: "Very glad it's not raining as well."
He said the details of his proposal would "come later", but admitted it had been very romantic.
The couple were smiling and giggling throughout their appearance.
Kensington Palace said the prince designed Meghan's engagement ring himself - using two stones which belong to his late mum, in the year of the 20th anniversary of her death.
Meghan's engagement ring was designed by Prince Harry himself
KENSINGTON Palace said the prince designed Meghan's engagement ring himself - using two stones which belong to his late mother.
The two outside stones are diamonds from the personal collection of Diana, Princess of Wales.
At the centre is a diamond from Botswana, a country that holds special significance for Harry who has visited many times since he was a child.
It is also a place the couple has spent time together over the last year and a half, Kensington Palace said.
The band is made of gold and the ring was made by Cleave and Company, Court Jewellers and Medallists to Her Majesty The Queen.
Harry is not the only royal to design his bride-to-be's engagement ring using jewels that belonged to his mother.
The Duke of Edinburgh designed an engagement ring for the Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, in 1947.
The Duke had the ring made by the jewellers Philip Antrobus Ltd, using diamonds from a tiara belonging to his mother, Princess Alice of Greece.
When Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, he gave her Diana's famous sapphire and diamond engagement ring.
He hid the priceless heirloom in a rucksack so he could pop the question on holiday in Kenya.
The two outside stones are diamonds from the personal collection of Diana, Princess of Wales.
At the centre is a diamond from Botswana, a country that holds special significance for Harry who has visited many times since he was a child.
It is also a place the couple has spent time together over the last year and a half, Kensington Palace said.
American actress Meghan will live with Prince Harry in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace once they are wed next year.
Announcing their engagement earlier today, a palace spokesman said: "His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle.
"The wedding will take place in Spring 2018.
"Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course."
Prince Harry asked Meghan's parents for their blessing to marry daughter Meghan before secretly popping the question earlier this month.
Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland said they are "incredibly happy" with the couple's engagement, saying: "We wish them a lifetime of happiness."
They added: "Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person. To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents."
Under strict royal protocol, the Prince also asked the Queen for permission to marry the divorced actress.
In a statement, she and the Duke of Edinburgh today announced they "are delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness".
Harry's dad, Prince Charles said he was "thrilled" and "very happy indeed" as news of the engagement broke.
Beaming from ear to ear during a visit to Poundbury in Dorset this morning, he said: "We're thrilled. We're both thrilled. We hope they'll be very happy indeed."
His son is expected to receive the title Duke of Sussex, while Meghan will become a duchess.
The newly engaged pair, who have been dating since the summer of 2016, will appear in a television interview tonight by the BBC's Mishal Husain.
Reacting to the news, Kate and Wills, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, said: "We are very excited for Harry and Meghan.
"It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together."
How the Palace announced Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement
HIS Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and Ms. Meghan Markle are engaged to be married.
The wedding will take place in Spring 2018. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course.
His Royal Highness and Ms. Markle became engaged in London earlier this month.
Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty, The Queen and other close members of his family.
Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms. Markle's parents.
The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace.
Joining in on the congratulations, Prime Minister Theresa May said: “I would like to offer my very warmest congratulations to HRH Prince Harry and Meghan Markle upon their engagement.
“This is a time of huge celebration and excitement for two people in love and, on behalf of myself, the Government and the country, I wish them great happiness for the future.”
It's believed Prince Harry got down on one knee with a special ring fashioned out of diamonds that were once worn by Princess Diana.
According to , Prince Harry, who is fifth-in-line to the throne, commissioned the ring to be made out of one of his late mother's brooches.
The family jewels have also been used by his elder brother William who used his mum's sapphire ring during his proposal to Kate Middleton in 2010.
Speculation has already begun about what Harry, 33, will get up to on his stag.
While Serena Williams, Millie Mackintosh, Princess Charlotte and Priyanka Chopra could make up Meghan's glam bridal party.
Despite being married before, Meghan can still have a church wedding with her Prince - although details of the wedding day are yet to be released.
Bookies are taking bets on May 2018 as the favourite month for Harry and Meghan to wed.
An engagement appeared to be on the cards last week after bookies suddenly suspended betting on another royal wedding.
Rumours have been rife ever since Meghan, 36, was said to have pulled out of Thanksgiving celebrations in Los Angeles to be in London.
The divorcee travelled to the UK last Saturday after a small leaving party in her native Canada and was seen shopping in the capital earlier this week.
She was also believed to have moved her beloved pet dogs - Labrador shepherd cross Bogart and beagle Guy - to Britain.
The brunette beauty, who snapped up the world's most eligible bachelor, is notably different from Harry's blonde exes who include a Burberry model, an X Factor singer and a Strictly Come Dancing starlet.
The 36-year-old philanthropist was born and raised in California, but has recently been living in Toronto, Canada, where Suits is filmed.
She got hitched to Trevor Engelson in Jamaica in 2011, but the pair went their separate ways two short years later.
How Harry and Meghan's romance blossomed
May - October 2016: 'Besotted' Harry meets his future princess
May 2, 2016 - It is not known exactly when Prince Harry first met the Suits actress but he travelled to Toronto, where Meghan Markle lives to launch the countdown to the Invictus Games. The pair are then believed to have been introduced through friends in London in July last year and started seeing eachother.
Oct 30, 2016 - News of their relationship broke and the prince was described as 'besotted' with the actress. A source described Harry as "happier than he's been for many years".
November 2016 - January 2017: Protective prince defends new love
Nov 8, 2016 - In an unprecedented statement, Harry attacked the media over its "abuse and harassment" of his girlfriend. He claimed Meghan had experienced racism and sexism and even attempts by members of the press to get into her home.
Nov 11, 2016 - Three days later Ms Markle was spotted in London amid unconfirmed reports she was stay at Kensington Palace for the first time.
Dec 6, 2016 - Harry flew straight from his Caribbean tour to Toronto to be with Ms Markle, making a 1,700-mile (2,736 km) detour instead of flying to London.
Dec 13, 2016 - The couple were buying a Christmas tree together in Battersea Park. The tree seller described the pair as "totally happy, cute, couple-y - but not overly mushy and gross".
February 2017 - June 2017: First public kiss and meeting the family
Feb 2, 2017 - Harry and Meghan were spotted holding hands on a date night in London amid claims she had "virtually moved in" with the prince at his two-bedroom bachelor pad Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace.
May 7, 2017 - The couple were photographed kissing in public for the first time at Cowarth Park polo club in Ascot, Berkshire, and just days later she joined Harry at Pippa Middleton's wedding reception.
July 2017 - November 2017: Wedding rumours and engagement announced
July 8 - Meghan was reported to have been spotted trying on wedding dresses, sending rumours of an impending engagement into overdrive.
Sep 5 - Ms Markle graced the cover of US magazine Vanity Fair and spoke openly about Harry for the first time, revealing: ''We're two people who are really happy and in love.''
Sep 25, 2017 - Just days later they appeared hand-in hand at their first official public appearance together at Invictus's wheelchair tennis.
Nov 27, 2017 - After weeks of speculation, Clarence House announced the engagement, and the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh say they are "delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness."
Meghan has been rumoured to be quitting her TV role to move to the UK ever since she was pictured canoodling with Harry, 33, at the Invictus Games in Canada in September.
The loved-up pair first met last year after being introduced by mutual pals but only announced they were together in November.
They were then spotted hand-in-hand for the first time while out on a date in London.
At the time, pals said actress Meghan had “virtually moved in” to Harry’s cottage at Kensington Palace with the couple having been “inseparable” for weeks.
On May 6 Meghan made her first public appearance as a royal girlfriend when she proudly watched Prince Harry playing polo in Berkshire.
Then in September, the pair were pictured together in Toronto as they attended the Invictus Games with Meghan's mum Doria.
Speculation was fuelled further in October when it was reported Harry had taken Meghan to Buckingham Palace for a meal with the Queen.
Now the pair are engaged, Meghan will be given a royal title by Her Majesty but would not be addressed as Princess Meghan.
To have princess as a title before your first name is an honour reserved for women who are born into the Royal Family - such as Princess Charlotte.
Instead, the actress would be known as HRH Princess Henry of Wales.
Harry will probably be bestowed a Dukedom when he ties the knot, with experts believing the couple would become the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Meghan was born and raised in California but now lives in Toronto, Canada, where Suits is filmed.
She opened up about her romance with Harry in an interview with Vanity Fair where she said her relationship with the Prince was a "great love story".
Actress Meghan's biggest role has been in the US TV show Suits, where she plays Rachel Zane.
But like her fiance, she is committed to charity work and is the Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada and has been to Rwanda to promote the organisation's Clean Water Campaign.
In 2011, she married Trevor Engelson, who owns a production company, but the pair split in 2013.
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