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For Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, this was supposed to be the year they found their freedom. After officially stepping down from their royal duties in March, the Sussexes and their son Archie moved to California, and seemed to have got what they’d always wanted.
But after a year of turmoil, both globally and personally, they may be breathing a sigh of relief that 2020 is on its way out. And while Harry is said to be keen to make amends with his family and move on, it’s not going to be so easy for Meghan.
A source close to the couple tells heat, “They still feel they made the right decision quitting the royals, but because of the public’s reaction, the pandemic, and Meghan’s miscarriage, it’s been a lot tougher than they ever imagined. They’re hoping they can just draw a line under everything, but Harry, especially, thinks they need to build bridges with his family to be able to do that. But Meghan still feels let down – she feels like they were frozen out, her in particular, and she’s not ready to fully forgive.”
Ever since Meghan began dating Harry back in 2016, there has been a lot of suggestion that she felt she was treated unfairly by the royals, especially when compared to her sister-in-law Kate Middleton. She was said to have thought that Kate was given more support after marrying Prince William, and the palace didn’t stick up for her when she faced heavy criticism from the tabloids. Meghan herself admitted in a TV interview after Archie was born that she was struggling and “not many people have asked if I’m OK”.
CHECK OUT Prince Harry and Meghan Markle'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.
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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.
But we’re told, despite her hurt, the Duchess is doing everything she can to support her husband as he reaches out.
“Harry is desperate to see his family and has told Meghan it should be a priority for them in 2021. It’s been over a year since any of the royals have seen Archie, not least because of the difficulties with travelling, and he’s very sad about that. He’s said he’s flying back for a visit at the first opportunity and he wants to take Archie. Meghan understands – and would be reluctant to let Archie go without her.”
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This year has seen Meghan, 39, tackle some tough personal issues. As well as dealing with the ongoing court case against The Mail On Sunday, the Duchess revealed that she’d suffered a miscarriage back in the summer. In an article for The New York Times, she described the “unbearable grief” that it had caused.
Our source says, “It won’t be easy, but Meg knows it’s important for Harry to see his family, so she’s making the effort. There are all kinds of virtual gatherings planned over Christmas. They’ve missed so much of Archie growing up. Now, they’ll get to see him walking and talking, and they are very excited about that – the Queen especially.”
Read more in the latest issue of heat magazine – out now.