CHICKEn ROYALE
Prince Harry reveals he proposed to Meghan Markle on one knee while pair cooked roast chicken as pair open up in first interview
LOVED-up Prince Harry has revealed he proposed to Meghan Markle while roasting a chicken on a "cosy night in" during their first interview as a couple.
The smitten royal, 33, popped the question last month with a stunning ring he designed himself using two diamonds belonging to his late mother, Princess Diana.
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Prince Harry says his mother, Princess Diana, would have been 'over the moon' about his engagement to Meghan Markle
The happy couple, who have been dating since last summer, discussed Harry's romantic proposal in their first ever joint interview.
Prince Harry told the BBC: "It happened a few weeks ago, earlier this month, here at our cottage; just a standard typical night for us."
Meghan, 36, then explained the couple were having a "cosy night in", adding: "[We were] trying to roast a chicken and it just - just an amazing surprise, it was so sweet and natural and very romantic.
"He got on one knee."
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Harry revealed how they had "hugs" after the proposal and he handed over the ring.
Prince Harry said: "She didn't even let me finish, she said 'can I say yes, can I say yes' and then were was hugs and I had the ring in my finger and I was like 'can I - can I give you the ring?' She goes - 'oh yes the ring'.
"So no it was - it was a really nice moment, it was just the two of us and I think managed to catch - catch her by surprise as well."
Prince Harry broke hearts across the world when it was announced this morning he had proposed to American actress Meghan and would be marrying her in a Spring wedding.
Kensington Palace said the prince designed Meghan's engagement ring himself - using two stones which belonged to his late mum - in the year of the 20th anniversary of her death.
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Harry told BBC presenter Mishal Husain his mum Princess Diana would be "jumping up and down somewhere else" over their proposal.
He also revealed the tragic Princess and Meghan would be "thick as thieves", adding: "Without question, I think she would be over the moon, jumping up and down, you know so excited for me, but then, as I said, would have probably been best friends - best friends with Meghan.
"So no it's - you know it is days like - days like today when - when I really miss having her around and miss being able to share the happy news. But you know with the ring and with everything else that's going on I'm sure she's ..."
Meghan added: "She's with us".
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When asked what it means to Meghan having the two stones that belonged to Diana, she said: "I think everything about Harry's thoughtfulness is - and the inclusion of that and obviously not being able to meet his mum it's so important to me to - to know that she's a part of this with us.
"And it's - it's incredibly special. And you know to be able to have this which sort of links where you come from and Botswana which is important to us and it's - it's perfect."
The actress also revealed in the touching interview she had met the Queen a couple of times and described her as an "incredible woman".
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She said: "It's incredible, I think, you know, to be able to meet her through his lens, not just with his honour and respect for her as the monarch, but the love that he has for her as his grandmother.
"All of those layers have been so important for me so that when I met her I had such a deep understanding and of course incredible respect for being able to have that time with her."
Harry added: "And the corgis took to you straight away."
He then joked: "I've spent the last 33 years being barked at - this one walks in, absolutely nothing."
Meghan, who has two beloved dogs, said: "Just laying on my feet during tea. It was very sweet."
Harry added: "Just wagging tails - and I was just like, argh."
The candid interview also discussed how the couple first met when they were set up by a female friend - and have since tried to see each other every two weeks.
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Smitten Harry explained: "I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly... All the stars were aligned - everything was just perfect. It was this beautiful woman just sort of literally tripped and fell into my life - I fell into her life."
He managed to persuade Meghan to join him on a five-day break in Botswana four weeks after they met where they camped out with each other "under the stars".
Opening up about their 16-month relationship, they revealed they never went more than two weeks without seeing each other -despite Meghan living in Toronto and Harry in London.
And Harry said he knew he had to make sure he had "good chat" when he first met Meghan for their "blind date".
He said: "I'd never watched Suits, I'd never heard of Meghan before, and I was beautifully surprised when I walked into that room and saw her.
"And there she was sitting there... I was like okay well I'm going to have to up my game."
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Meghan also said the Duchess of Cambridge had been "wonderful" to her, while Harry said both William and Kate had been "amazing".
Harry talked about how he kept the relationship secret before introducing Meghan to his brother and sister-in-law.
He said: "It was exciting, I mean I've - you know, I'd been seeing her for a period of time when I literally didn't tell anybody at all.
And then William was longing to meet her and so was Catherine, so you know, being our neighbours, we managed to get that in a couple of, well, quite a few times now, and Catherine has been absolutely amazing, as has William as well, you know, fantastic support."
Meghan added that Kate had been "wonderful", while Harry praised his family for the "solid support" they have given him.
The couple's first interview
Int: Can we start with the proposal and the actual moment of your engagement. When did it happen? How did it happen?
Prince Harry: It happened a few weeks ago, earlier this month, here at our cottage; just a standard typical night for us.
Meghan Markle: Just a cosy night, it was - what we were doing just roasting chicken and having …
Prince Harry: Roasting a chicken, trying to roast a chicken.
Meghan Markle: Trying to roast a chicken and it just - just an amazing surprise, it was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee.
Prince Harry: Of course.
Int: Was it an instant yes from you?
Meghan Markle: Yes, as a matter of fact I could barely let you finish proposing, I said - can I say yes now?
Prince Harry: She didn't even let me finish, she said can I say yes, can I say yes and then were was hugs and I had the ring in my finger and I was like can I - can I give you the ring? She goes - oh yes the ring.
So no it was - it was a really nice moment, it was just the two of us and I think managed to catch - catch her by surprise as well.
Meghan Markle: Yeah.
Int: And this is how long after you first met?
Meghan Markle: Oh it would be a year and a half, a little bit more than that?
Prince Harry: No just about - it would be about a year and a half yeah.
Meghan Markle: Just about that?
Int: Which for most people would be quite a whirlwind, is that how it's felt to you?
Meghan Markle: I don't think that I would call it a whirlwind in terms of our relationship, obviously there have been layers attached to how public it has become after we had a good five, six months almost with just privacy, which was amazing.
But no, I think we were able to really have so much time just to connect and we never went longer than two weeks without seeing each other, even though we were obviously doing a long distance relationship. So it's - we made it work.
Int: How did you first meet?
Prince Harry: Ah yes, we first met - we were introduced actually by a mutual friend, who - we will …
Meghan Markle: We should protect her privacy and not reveal too much of that.
Prince Harry: We'll protect her privacy yeah. And - but it was - it was literally - it was through her and then we met once and then twice back to back two dates in London, last July.
Meghan Markle: Yes.
Prince Harry: The beginning of July. And then it was I think about three, maybe four weeks later that I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana. And we - we camped out with each other under the stars, we spent - she came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic.
Meghan Markle: Just to take the - take the time to be able to go on long country walks and just talk
Prince Harry: We've been - we've been all over the place.
Int: Have you met the Queen?
Meghan Markle: I have, yes.
Prince Harry: A couple of times.
Meghan Markle: Yes, true, a couple of times.
Int: What was that like?
Meghan Markle: It's incredible, I think, you know, a) to be able to meet her through his lens, not just with his honour and respect for her as the monarch, but the love that he has for her as his grandmother, all of those layers have been so important for me so that when I met her I had such a deep understanding and of course incredible respect for being able to have that time with her. And we've had a really - she's - she's an incredible woman.
Prince Harry: And the corgis took to you straight away.
Meghan Markle: That's true.
Prince Harry: I've spent the last 33 years being barked at; this one walks in, absolutely nothing …
Meghan Markle: Just laying on my feet during tea, it was very sweet.
Prince Harry: … just wagging tails and I was just like argh.
Int: That has to be a good sign. Speaking of dogs, have you brought yours to the UK?
Meghan Markle: Well I have two dogs that I've had for quite a long time, both my rescue pups. And one is now staying with very close friends and my other little guy is - yes he's in the UK, he's been here for a while.
Int: Okay, let's hope he adjusts well.
Meghan Markle: I think he's doing just fine.
Int: What was it like introducing Meghan to your father and your brother?
Prince Harry: What was it like? It was exciting I mean I've - you know I'd been seeing her for a period of time when I - literally didn't tell anybody at all. And then William was longing to meet her and so was Catherine, so you know being our neighbours we managed to get that in a couple of - well quite a few times now and Catherine has been absolutely …
Meghan Markle: She's been wonderful.
Prince Harry: … amazing, as has William as well, you know, fantastic support. And then my - my father as well, we had a couple of - no more than that …
Meghan Markle: We've had …
Prince Harry: … A handful of teas and meetings and all sorts of gatherings over at his place as well. So no the family together have been absolutely, you know, a solid support and my grandparents as well have been - have been wonderful throughout this whole process and they've known for quite some time. So how they - how they haven't told anybody is - is again a miracle in itself. But now the whole family have come together and have been a huge amount of support.
Meghan Markle: They've been amazing.
Int: And Meghan your parents, do you think - you know while very happy for you obviously …
Meghan Markle: Yes.
Int: Do you think they have worried at all about the scale of what you're getting into?
Meghan Markle: Well I'm sure the onset, both my parents and my close friends were concerned, because we got very quickly swept up in a media storm that, as I shared, was not part of my life before that, but they also had never seen me so happy. And I think also once my friends - excuse me, were able to - to really meet Harry, and my mom, who we've spent a lot of time with, who is so much fun.
Prince Harry: Her mum's amazing.
Meghan Markle: It was just - you know it was just obvious that no matter what we were being put through that it was just temporary and that we were going to be able to get through that. So everybody was really happy. And he's talked to my dad a few times, hasn't been able to meet him just yet, but it's all been - it's all been worth every effort.
Prince Harry: Yeah, yeah it's been great.
Int: Your ring.
Meghan Markle: Oh yes.
Int: Tell us about your ring.
Prince Harry: The ring is - is obviously yellow gold because that's what - her favourite and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana and the - the little diamonds either side are from my mother's jewellery collection to make sure that she's with us on this - on this crazy journey together. And …
Meghan Markle: It's beautiful, and he designed it, it's incredible.
Prince Harry: Yeah, make sure it stays on that finger.
Meghan Markle: Of course.
Int: What does it mean to you Meghan to have those stones on your finger that once belonged to Princess Diana?
Meghan Markle: I think everything about Harry's thoughtfulness is - and the inclusion of that and obviously not being able to meet his mom it's so important to me to - to know that she's a part of this with us. And I think in being able to meet his aunts and - and also like Julia and just different people who were so important to his mom, I'm able to, in some way, know a part of her through them and of course through him. And it's - it's incredibly special. And you know to be able to have this which sort of links where you come from and Botswana which is important to us and it's - it's perfect.
Int: What do you think your mother would have thought of Meghan, or said about Meghan?
Prince Harry: Oh they'd be thick as thieves, without question, I think she would be over the moon, jumping up and down, you know so excited for me, but then, as I said, would have probably been best friends - best friends with Meghan.
So no it's - you know it is days like - days like today when - when I really miss having her around and miss being able to share the happy news. But you know with the ring and with everything else that's going on I'm sure she's …
Meghan Markle: She's with us.
Prince Harry: I'm sure she's with us yeah, you know, jumping up and down somewhere else.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle posed for photographs ahead of the TV interview this evening
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Meghan Markle shows off ring as she and Prince Harry appear in public for first time since engagement
The loved-up pair had earlier appeared in The Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace where they showed off the stunning engagement ring Harry designed.
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.
Meghan, who has been living in Canada while filming for TV show Suits, will live with her prince in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace once they are married.
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Traditional 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".
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Harry's dad, Prince Charles said he was "thrilled" and "very happy indeed" as news of the engagement broke.
While 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."
The loved-up pair first met last year after being introduced by mutual pals but only announced they were together in November.
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Prince Charles hopes 'they'll be very happy' following announcement of Harry's engagement to Meghan Markle
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.
MOST READ IN NEWS
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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