Royal enthusiasts have waited months for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to announce their engagement, but just hours to get a glimpse of them once it finally was announced.
The newly engaged couple posed for a photo call at Kensington Palace following the news of their highly anticipated engagement Monday. And boy, do they look royally ecstatic.
Markle, who has been dating the royal officially since November 2016, gave fans a preview of what’s to come in a white wrap coat, strappy tan pumps and, of course, the ring: a three-stone stunner made with a diamond from Botswana (where the couple vacationed back in August during Markle’s 36th birthday) as well as two diamonds from Princess Diana’s personal collection, according to ITV News royal editor Chris Ship.
The pair posed in the palace’s sunken garden, which is especially sentimental considering its significance to Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana. She often visited the garden and it was even transformed into a white memorial garden to mark the 20th anniversary of her death in August.
Rumors about the couple’s engagement had been swirling for months prior to the announcement, as Markle began making public appearances with Harry and gave fans more insight into their relationship in an interview with Vanity Fair in September.
Not only did they make their first official appearance as an engaged couple Monday, they will also sit down in the evening for an interview with BBC’s Mishal Husain. Our royal-loving hearts can barely handle it.
Their wedding, which is slated for spring 2018, will be a groundbreaking one for a few reasons: not only is Markle the first American to marry into the royal family since Wallis Simpson, she was also previously married. Her marriage to American producer Trevor Engelson ended in 2013.
Between wedding planning and the Duchess of Cambridge’s baby planning, the royals ― and the people who love them ― are going to have a very busy and very exciting few months.