Last week marked the second anniversary of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding – a lavish affair that was attended by royals and celebrities alike, and watched by hundreds of millions of fans across the globe. This year, however, they received no public well wishes from any members of the royal family, and a source close to the Sussexes tells us the occasion wasn’t quite as happy as it should have been.
“It wasn’t the day they had in mind, given all the misery and resentment that they feel the people in the UK have towards them,” we’re told. “This LA move has turned into a nightmare – they have very few friends there, Harry is openly homesick and Meghan is still refusing to make any effort with his family.”
Meghan and Harry's relationship in pictures:
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle relationship (slider)
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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.
As heat has previously reported, Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, have been feeling regretful over their decision to move to California after leaving their positions as senior royals. Of course, they couldn’t have foreseen the global pandemic crisis hitting just as they moved, but it has meant that they have essentially had to put their lives on hold.
“They’re still committed to this new life together, but they’re both so scarred and traumatised by the endless criticism they feel they get from all sides,” says the source. “The wedding day itself was magical, but so stressful, especially after Meghan was accused of being a diva and all the issues with her father.”
Our source continues, “The main reason why the anniversary was so difficult was because the wedding is such a stark reminder of the life they left behind. That stuffy, restricted life in England was ultimately not something they could cope with, so Meghan wants to look forward instead of backwards.”
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When they left the UK, the couple said they would pay back the £2.4 million of taxpayers’ money they used to renovate Frogmore Cottage. It has now been revealed they are starting to do that at a cost of £18,000 a month, meaning it will take them ten years, another thing that has not gone down well with the British public. They are currently living – along with their one-year-old son, Archie – in the $18m Beverly Hills mansion of their friend Tyler Perry, and our source says that having that information out in the open has only added to their stress.
“Meghan and Harry would love to take more walks, visit her mum [Doria, who also lives in LA] and run the dogs on the beach,” we’re told. “But they daren’t because they don’t want to be followed. In the meantime, they have people staring through their fence, talking about them online and looking for the slightest thing to criticise them for. It’s become an insufferable existence in many ways, so they’re simply trying their best to stay strong.”
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