Well, what a lovely surprise to wake up to! This morning (at 5am ET) Clarence House released the highly anticipated statement confirming the engagement of HRH Prince Henry of Wales (more informally, and frequently known as Prince Harry) and his American-born actress girlfriend Meghan Markle.
The statement reads:
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.
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 this 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.
Additionally, Meghan’s parents released a statement via Kensington Palace stating,
We are incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry. 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. We wish them a lifetime of happiness and are very excited for their future together.
Well wishes are also flowing in from members of the royal family, including Prince Harry’s grandparents, The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, his father and step-mother The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, as well as Harry’s brother and sister-in-law, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Kate Middleton). Additionally, the UK Prime Minister, other members of the government, and representatives of the various charities that Prince Harry has founded and/or supports have expressed their congratulations for the happy couple.
With the engagement officially confirmed, it will be interesting to see if Prince Harry and Meghan spend Christmas with the royal family at Sandringham. Kate has reportedly already offered to let Meghan’s mother stay at the Cambridge’s Norfolk home, which is on the Sandringham estate so that she can be close to her daughter during the festive season.