Prince Harry‘s engagement to American actress, Meghan Markle is now official. The couple has been dating for over a year and they will marry next spring according to a statement from the Clarence House.
Prince Harry’s marriage is certainly a non-conventional one in the royal family. He met his girlfriend because of a blind date and the media hasn’t stopped since they were first seen together. Markle is a divorced American actress who comes from an interracial marriage and with no proved link to royalty and no knowledge about the monarchy’s traditions. Now, she is becoming a princess of the British monarchy, one of the most conservative institutions of the world.
“The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms. Meghan Markle” stated the Clarence House today via Twitter.
Meghan Markle, the girl who captivated Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the youngest son of the beloved Princess Diana and the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, was known for many years as a “bad” boy. He used to party a lot, smoke cannabis and he never behaved exactly as many members of his family wished. This was attractive to the media but it was certainly causing despair among many members of the royalty. It is important to take into account that, not that long ago, Harry was the third in line to the throne, now he is the fifth. So, becoming the monarch of the British people is still a possible thing for him.
Now Harry is not behaving terribly, but his engagement has caused astonishment among many, given the characteristics of his future wife.
Meghan Markle is older than Harry. She’s 36 years old while the prince is 33. She is not British, but American, and she doesn’t come from any royal family. There is a recent analysis that suggests that Meghan’s ancestor was, in fact, an aristocrat who was beheaded by Henry VIII, who is an ancestor of Prince Harry, but such a thing cannot be proven.
The most shocking thing is that Meghan is divorced. She also comes from a biracial middle-class family. His mother, Doria Ragland, is a black yoga instructor while her father, Thomas Markle, is a white cinematographer. Because of the comments that circulated about Meghan’s ethnicity, Prince Harry issued a statement last year where he denounced the “racial undertones” of news coverage of Ms. Markle.
Markle graduated from Northwestern University in Illinois in 2003. She married in 2011 but divorced just 2 years after that. She pursued an acting career and she is best known for her roles in the television legal drama “Suits” and in the science-fiction series “Fringe”. She also enjoys charitable work for she is the global ambassador for World Vision Canada. She has also worked for the empowerment of girls and women and to achieve gender equality.
Just like the Queen, she loves dogs. According to the British tabloids, she is about to move her two dogs – Bogart, a Labrador-shepherd mix, and Guy, a beagle – to England.
Harry and Meghan met at a blind date set up by friends. They made their first official outing together in September during the Invictus Games in Toronto. These games consist of a competition for wounded or sick members of the military and veterans.
A modern kind of royal marriage
Many years ago, it would have been quite impossible to accept a woman like Meghan as part of the royal family. However, this proves that things have changed even for the most traditional institutions and that the new generation of royals wants to appear more relatable.
Diana’s sons have completely followed her steps of projecting as approachable, inclusive and modern people to the citizens and the world. This way of reigning was promoted by Harry’s brother, Prince William, and his wife Catherine who are completely beloved by the people. This marks a clear difference from the way the Queen and her predecessors have been perceived.
Harry is also well received by the British people, and some consider him to be the favorite member of the royal family. Leaving his bad boy days behind, he has become an advocate for mental health awareness and for other charities. He publicly spoke of the hard times he lived after Diana’s death, and how he got help to overcome this situation three years ago and thanks to the support of his brother.
Now that he is engaged to a normal and relatable girl from abroad, they might become the most beloved couple in the United Kingdom. They are expected to be known as the duke and duchess of Sussex, once they are married. This will happen unless Harry decides to turn down the dukedom. That being the case, he will remain as Prince Henry of Wales, which is his official name.
Source: BBC