Meghan Markle made the leap to superstardom after it became public that she was dating Britain's most eligible bachelor, Prince Harry, back in October of 2016.
Since then, the media frenzy surrounding the romance has proved to be all consuming. In fact, Markle's appearance at Pippa Middleton's wedding was deemed so threatening that it was mutually decided that it would be best if the Suits actress attended the reception, and not the actual wedding ceremony. This, of course, was done in the fear that Meghan Markle's presence could potentially upstage the bride, who captured the world's attention back in 2011 at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
As such, Meghan and Prince Harry continue to keep a low-profile, prizing their privacy over the tabloid attention follows them wherever they go.
In fact, in November of 2016, Prince Harry was so moved by the reaction to their relationship that he released a statement, urging the media and so-called internet "trolls" to stop the "wave of abuse and harassment" that has plagued the 36-year-old Suits actress and her family:
"Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her. It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm. He knows commentators will say this is ‘the price she has to pay’ and that ‘this is all part of the game’. He strongly disagrees. This is not a game - it is her life and his."
However, it's not just Meghan and Prince Harry that have been affected by the frenzy. According to a royal insider, Markle's potential future in the monarchy is reportedly creating "conflict" inside of the palace too.
Dick Arbiter, the Queen's former press secretary spoke to Sky News about what could be going on in the palace amidst rumours that staff are already beginning to prepare for an announcement of Prince Harry and Meghan's engagement.
Arbiter, who acted as royal press spokesman for Queen Elizabeth II until 2000, said that planning for a new era of the British monarchy is naturally fraught with tension. With the younger royals taking on more and more responsibility, as the Queen and Prince Charles ease their workload, there have been, as expected, some clashes.
"I don't think there is a conflict behind the scenes as far as the main players - the royals - are concerned… but there probably is a conflict between the people who are organising them," he stated.
'There's a tendency for people who join the royal households to get a bit of red carpet fever, feel a bit more important than they should do and don't get on with the job properly.
"So there is a conflict of interest, a personality clash amongst each other, and that is not good."
Meghan and Prince Harry, who have been dating for just over a year, have purportedly taken their relationship to the next level in recent months. But with speculation continuing to grow about the possibility of another royal wedding, it's natural that the couple would want to refrain from announcing the news publicly for quite some time.
A source told Us Magazine that Harry "always planned to share the news only with family at first so he could enjoy it before word spread. But they will make an official announcement soon."
Well, in that case, I guess that only time will tell...
Wedding bells have failed to stop tolling since it was announced that Britain's most eligible bachelor, Prince Harry, is due to marry American actress Meghan Markle in the spring. In a tale that can't be said to be reminiscent of every great romantic comedy, the erstwhile Suits star started dating the royal back in 2016 after being introduced by a mutual friend.
But as things progressed, a veritable media maelstrom started to gather speed and culminated in the prince repeatedly urging the press and internet "trolls" to stop the "wave of abuse and harassment" that had plagued the actress and her family.
In fact, Prince Harry has repeatedly made it clear that his engagement, and indeed his marriage, will be conducted on the couple's terms. Last month, he purportedly refused to sign a prenup to safeguard his fortune, which is thought to be around the £30 million mark.
And now, it's been revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have decided not to invite frontline politicians to their nuptials - meaning that Theresa May and President Trump will miss out on a chance to attend.
Kensington Palace has announced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have decided not to invite political leaders, Theresa May and Donald Trump to their wedding ceremony, which is due to be held on the 19th of May. Barack and Michelle Obama, who are known to be friends with the prince, are also not on the guest list.
"It has been decided that an official list of political leaders – both UK and international – is not required for Prince Harry and Ms Markle's wedding," a spokesperson for the palace said. "Her Majesty's Government was consulted on this decision, which was taken by The Royal Household."
It is believed that the couple wants a less formal guest list because Prince Harry is fifth in line to the throne - and is due to be demoted to sixth once the Duchess of Cambridge gives birth to her third child, expected to arrive later this month. As such, the wedding has not been considered a formal state occasion.
Additionally, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's choice of venue, St George's Chapel in Windsor, has a capacity of just 600 people.
Kensington Palace has since confirmed that among the 2,640 people invited to the celebrations at Windsor Castle, 1,200 will be members of the public, including charity workers and young activists.
The number purportedly includes a soldier who lost his leg while fighting in Afghanistan; a boy from Derbyshire who is deaf and started a lunchtime sign language class at his school, and a woman who runs a café in Dumfries to provide support and training for those with special needs aged 16-25.
While it's a shame that Barack and Michelle Obama won't be making an appearance at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's big day, it's evident that nothing has been said about a certain Mr Trudeau. Now, wouldn't that make for a wonderful photo-op?
When it was announced last year that Meghan Markle was getting married to Prince Harry, everyone was so excited to welcome the former actress into the royal family.
Well, almost everyone.
Samantha Markle - Meghan's half-sister - has always seemed resentful that Meghan has seen so much success and good fortune in her life, and she's been committed to calling her out ever since.
Over the past couple of years, the 53-year-old has given controversial television interviews, started writing a book, and even changed her surname to Markle (it used to be Grant) in order to wangle her way into the limelight and dish the dirt on the former Suits actress - but none of it has really had much of an effect on Meghan.
So, in what is probably her most dramatic gesture so far, she's gone to London.
"Samantha Markle is coming to the UK," tweeted Rob Cooper, Samantha's PR Manager.
He continued:
"After making numerous attempts in private to arrange a one on one meeting with The Duchess of Sussex to discuss their 74-year-old father’s health, Kensington Palace have refused to respond. I fear Meghan may not be made aware of these discrete attempts and therefore making this public is the only option we have left.
"I currently have Samantha in Europe with just one short flight away. This DOESN’T need to be public, we would prefer to keep this private.
"Samantha is coming to the UK this week, like it or not."
Samantha herself then confirmed its arrival in the UK yesterday by tweeting about how helpful she had found British people to be on her trip.
The last time that Meghan and Samantha spoke was three years ago: before the actress was in a relationship with Prince Harry. Since then, Samantha has reached out a number of times via public interviews, most often to discuss their father, Thomas Markle Sr.
The Duchess' father is now 74 years old, and apparently worries that he won't have many years left to be "happy and peaceful" with his daughter.
And yet, despite her claiming that she only wants the best for her family, Samantha has consistently proven to be downright offensive to her sister on social media.
Just a few weeks ago, she went on a long rant about Meghan, and at one point compared her to Donald Trump.
"I am not candy coating anything anymore! The DUCHASS should be humane to our father who has given her everything and this media crap can stop!" she wrote.
"He was the one who was always there for her. Fake waves and smiles can stop. The duchass can bow to the daddy.
"Trump thinks he can shoot someone and still get votes. She can dump an entire family both sides and a best friend of 30 years and ignore it and be popular. Sad."
It is highly unlikely that Samantha will actually be able to get any face time with her sister - not only because Kensington Palace don't often let people stroll in off the street to meet royalty, but also because Meghan and Harry are off to Sussex this week for the first time since the Duchess gained her title.
So it looks like Samantha may have been better off sticking to tweeting after all.
Ever since their whirlwind romance and beautiful, dream-like marriage back in May, your hearts and mine have been filled with tales of love between Prince Harry and former Suits star Meghan Markle.
With their televised wedding, a ton of royal events to show up at plus the fact that they're just super smitten with one another, we've seen a lot of them recently. More than, say, Prince William and Kate Middleton, who've been able to sink into the background with their three kids.
Unfortunately, there's also a darker side to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's enduring presence in the spotlight, making up quite a bit of our newsfeeds in recent times.
Having had to deal with media harassment in the early stages of their courtship, Meghan Markle's estranged family are proving to be quite a thorn in the side of the Royal Family now that Meghan's a part of it - they just won't. Shut. Up.
From Meghan's half-sister Samantha, who admitted that she's been cashing in on her famous sibling's fame to her father Thomas Markle, who missed her wedding and has since been employing Emotional Manipulation 101 in order to get a rise out of his daughter, it's all getting a bit much down at Buckingham Palace.
As a result, we won't be seeing nearly as much of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moving forward. According to Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl, Prince Harry is very much not amused with the media circus surrounding his new wife. And honestly, who could blame him?
According to a source, radio silence is the order of the day moving forward for anyone in the couple's inner circle. "They both expect a code of silence. If you talk to the press you’re out," the source revealed. "Harry didn’t used to care that much about what was written [in the press], he just said it was a load of shite, but he’s very protective of Meghan and defensive these days."
Royal editor Camilla Tominey says that the scrutiny on Harry and his new bride has put a strain on the couple, and that after suffering a similar hounding in the 80s of 90s, the entire situation is reminding Prince Harry of his mother, Princess Diana.
"The princes are both very private people and have tried their best to keep the press at bay ever since their mother’s death. They are extremely protective of their wives and families and will do anything to avoid a repeat of the 80s and 90s when they felt that Princess Diana was hounded.”
With loyalty being one of the more valued qualities in the Royal Family, you can expect Harry and Meghan's closest and dearest to keep their mouths shut. Next month's public appearance, when they'll be in Balmoral to spend some time with the Queen, might be the last time we see Prince Harry and Meghan for a while.
Prince Harry has responded to rumors that he is divorcing Meghan Markle as speculation intensified over recent months.
The couple got married in 2018 in what was a highly televised ceremony, but their relationship has long been the subject of intrigue.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle share two children together. Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty
Rumors have been rampant for years that Prince Harry doesn't see eye to eye with his family, and this was fueled more when he opted to relocate to the US.
A bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey opened a further can of worms after the Prince alleged that a racist remark was made about his then-unborn child with Meghan.
Given that the couple is so divisive, rumors of their alleged separation have sparked intrigue - and the Prince has now tackled them head-on, as reported by the Independent.
The gossip, which has gained momentum in recent weeks, stems from the couple’s increasing appearances at separate professional events.
During the event, New York Times columnist and DealBook founder Andrew Ross Sorkin brought up the intense public interest in Harry’s personal life.
Prince Harry has denied that he is separating from his wife. Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty
“I Google News-ed you, and there were people fascinated by everything you’re doing, all the time. They’re fascinated by Meghan is in California right now, and you’re here,” Sorkin noted, referencing Markle’s attendance at the Paley Honors gala in Beverly Hills on the same evening.
“And there’s articles left and right about, you know, ‘Why are you making, doing independent events? Why aren’t you doing them together?’” Sorkin added.
Prince Harry provided a lighthearted explanation. “Because you invited me, you should have known!” he said, prompting laughter from the audience.
Sorkin continued, asking whether such constant scrutiny was ever beneficial. The Prince replied: “No, that’s definitely not a good thing.”
He went on to mock the persistent falsehoods about his life.
“Apparently we’ve bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well. So it’s just like, what?” he said, laughing.
The Prince is often scrutinized by various media outlets. Credit: Eugene Gologursky/Getty
Harry also expressed sympathy for online trolls who eagerly anticipate negative developments in his personal life.
“Their hopes are just built and built, and it’s like, ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,’ and then it doesn’t happen. So I feel sorry for them. Genuinely, I do.”
Drawing from his experiences growing up in the spotlight, Harry touched on the challenges of navigating a life under constant media scrutiny.
Reflecting on the impact of the press on his late mother, Princess Diana, and his own life, Harry said: “I’ve seen stories written about myself that aren’t exactly based on reality. I’ve seen stories about members of my family, friends, strangers, all sorts of people.
“When you grow up within that environment, you do find yourself questioning the validity of the information but also what other people are thinking of that as well, and how dangerous it can be over the course of time,” he added.
Despite the swirling rumors, Harry emphasized his commitment to his family and his charitable work through the Archewell Foundation. The couple’s initiatives include efforts to enhance online safety for children.
“My main goal is being the best husband and dad that I can be,” Harry said.
The Prince concluded his appearance by acknowledging the likelihood of further media distortion following his remarks.
“No doubt this will be spun or twisted somehow against me, and maybe you yourself will be trolled relentlessly,” he told Sorkin.
“For that, I can only apologize, but you did invite me, so it’s not my fault,” he joked.
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