We all sort of dread getting older, especially when the birthday ends in an “0”, but for Meghan Markle, the run up to her 40th birthday on 4 August had got her feeling particularly stressed out – and it’s not surprising, given what’s been going on.
News that Prince Harry is writing a memoir – as well as a reported three more books in a multimillion-dollar deal – received a huge backlash when it was announced, especially as it was claimed one will come out after the Queen’s death, although this has been denied. And Meghan’s estranged father Thomas Markle has recently claimed that he is prepared to take his daughter to court in order to fight for visitation rights with his two grandchildren – Archie, two, and one-month-old Lilibet.
“Once again, Meghan feels like everyone is ganging up on her,” a source tells heat.
“It’s ruining the run-up to her 40th. Her dad making those awful claims that he’ll take her to court was really upsetting and, even though he doesn’t really stand a chance, it’s very hurtful to have him wading into her life again like that. And then there’s the fallout over Harry’s books and, all the stuff about Lilibet not being on the line of succession [Lili is eighth in line to the throne, but was not added to the official royal website until last week] and she just feels she can’t take much more. But Harry is determined for her to have the perfect 40th birthday.”
CHECK OUT Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's relationship from the start
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship timeline
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met in London in July 2016.
2 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
They were introduced by mutual friend Markus Anderson, who is the director of Soho House.
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In October 2016, the Express became the first newspaper to publish news that Prince Harry had a new girlfriend.
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On November 8th 2016, Kensington Palace released an unprecedented statement which referring to Markle as Harry's girlfriend for the first time.
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In the statement, Prince Harry condemned the 'wave of abuse and harrassment' faced by Markle, saying that he was 'worried about Ms. Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her.'
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'It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm,' the statement continued.
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The couple were papped together for the first time in December 2016, shopping for a Christmas tree in London at the Pines and Needles store.
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Later that week, they were seen on London's West End, catching a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
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In February, Prince Harry wore a his 'n' hers bracelet on the cover of Town & Country magazine, just weeks after Markle was pictured wearing the same one on Instagram.
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In March 2017, Meghan joined Prince Harry in the Caribbean for the wedding of his friend's Tom 'Skippy' Inskip and Lara Hughes-Young.
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It was the first time that Markle accompanied Harry to a wedding, marking another milestone occasion for the couple.
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The first public event attended by the couple was the polo at Coworth Park in May 2017.
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Later in May, Markle attended the party portion of Pippa Middleton's wedding to James Middelton.
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Prince Harry was seen driving her to the event after the church ceremony.
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The couple were photographed together the following day at the wheelchair tennis.
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The couple 'broke with royal protocol' by holding hands and appearing affectionate while at the Invictus Games.
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In an interview with Vanity Fair, Meghan referred to Harry as her boyfriend numerous times, saying: 'We're a couple. We're in love. I'm sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people understand is that this is our time.'
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In early November 2017, it was reported that Meghan Markle was leaving Suits after seven series.
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Much was made of Markle's choice of outfit: ripped jeans and a white blouse called 'The Husband'.
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Although Prince Harry was sat next to First Lady Melania Trump at the event, rather than his girlfriend, she was only seated a few rows behind him.
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The couple made their first official public appearance in September, when Markle attended the opening of Prince Harry's Invictus Games.
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In mid-November 2017, bookies suspending betting on an impending royal engagement, as speculation grew that an announcement was about to be made.
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On November 27th 2017, Prince Charles announced the engagement of his younger son Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after 15 months of dating.
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The couple later appeared at a photocall, with Markle wearing a white dress coat by Canadian brand Line The Label. The website has subsequently crashed.
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The engagement ring, by Cleave and Company, was reportedly designed by Prince Harry himself, using two stones that belonged to Princess Diana.
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When asked by waiting photographers if the proposal was romantic, Harry joked 'of course!'
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The couple indulged in some PDA at the closing ceremony.
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Meghan wore a maroon midi dress with a pleated chiffon skirt by one of her favourite Canadian brands Aritzia.
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She teamed it with a matching burgundy biker jacket by Mackage.
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Prince Harry reportedly spent time with Meghan's mother Doria while at the Games too.
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Prince Harry was photographed kissing Meghan.
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In late September 2017, it was reported that Meghan had met the Queen, prompting speculation that the relationship was getting serious.
Thomas recently told Fox News, “I will be petitioning the California courts for the rights to see my grandchildren in the very near future.”
He also demanded that Lili be allowed to be christened in the Queen’s church, stating, “We shouldn’t be punishing [Lili] for Meghan and Harry’s bad behaviour. Archie and Lili are small children. They’re not politics. They’re not pawns. They’re not part of the game. And they’re also royal and entitled to the same rights as any other royal.”
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With all this, along with criticism of Harry’s book detailing his life – “not as the prince I was born, but as the man I have become”, according to his statement – going on, it’s no wonder Meghan wants to forget her worries and enjoy her birthday.
“They’ve hired a party planner, but Meghan is very hands-on and has a lot of ideas,” our source reveals. “It’ll be outside and there’ll be dinner and dancing with live music, but there’ll also be some very mindful touches. Meghan is keeping the guest list very small, it’ll only be her very closest friends, but that includes Oprah and Serena Williams, so it will certainly be A-list. She’s got more than enough of everything she could ever need, so she’s asking for charity donations instead of gifts. She’s still figuring out which charities she wants to choose, but her focus is on helping young women in honour of her big day.”
Read more in the latest issue of heat magazine – OUT NOW.