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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make first appearance after engagement
London (CNN)Britain's Prince Harry and the American actor Meghan Markle have described their joy at the prospect of getting married, hours after their engagement was announced on Monday.
In
a brief appearance in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, Harry
told reporters he knew Markle was "the one" from "the very first time we
met."
The prince
declined to elaborate on his proposal to Markle, but when asked whether
it was romantic, he smiled and said, "of course it was."
Prince Harry and fiancée Meghan Markle pose for photographers after their engagement was announced Monday.
The pair appeared overjoyed as they appeared for photographers on a slightly overcast Monday afternoon in London.
Markle said she was "so very happy" and flashed her engagement ring to reporters.
The
ring, designed by Harry, has a gold band and features a large diamond
from Botswana and two smaller outer diamonds from the personal
collection of Harry's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, according
to a statement from Kensington Palace.
Botswana
holds special significance for the couple, who have spent time together
there over the past year and a half, Kensington Palace said.
Harry
designed the engagement ring which was made by Cleave and Company,
Court Jewellers and Medallists to Her Majesty The Queen.
The
pair, who became engaged quietly earlier this month, will marry in
spring 2018 and live at Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, where
Harry currently lives.
Markle
will be the first American to marry a British royal since the marriage
of Wallis Simpson to King Edward VIII, a union so controversial that he
was forced to give up the throne in December 1936 to go through with it.
Monday's announcement was made by Harry's father, Prince Charles, in a statement released from his office at Clarence House.
Prince
Charles said he was "delighted to announce" the engagement, adding that
Harry had informed "The Queen and other close members of his family."
"Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms. Markle's parents," the statement added.
The
couple went before photographers on Monday afternoon before taking part
in a broadcast interview which will air in the evening.
Harry's
grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, are
"delighted" for the couple and "wish them every happiness," a Buckingham
Palace spokesman said.
The
palace did not say what titles would be conferred upon the couple when
they are married, but the prince is likely to be awarded a dukedom,
meaning Markle would become a duchess. Markle will not become a princess
in her own right: only daughters of royals can claim such status.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games 2017.
Shortly after the announcement, Kensington Palace released a statement on behalf of Markle's parents, Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland.
"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," the statement ended.
Harry's brother, William and
his wife, Catherine, who also reside at Kensington Palace, shared their
joy at the impending union on Monday.
"We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful
getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together,"
they said in a statement.
Monday's
announcement ends persistent speculation over when the 33-year-old
prince -- who is now fifth in line to the British throne -- would
propose to the actor.
Harry and his fiancée made their first public appearance as a couple in September at the Invictus Games in Toronto.
The
pair were introduced in July 2016 by mutual friends in London, Markle
confirmed in September. Markle is best known for her role on TV show
"Suits" as well as her philanthropic work.
The 36-year-old LA native spoke of her royal relationship for the first time earlier this year telling Vanity Fair: "We're two people who are really happy and in love."
Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Markle
is best known for her role as Rachel Zane in US hit TV series "Suits."
Her on-screen father Robert Zane is played by Wendell Pierce.
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Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Markle played Kirsten in 2015 crime movie "Anti-Social."
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Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Markle has made a name for herself as an actress and a philanthropist.
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Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Markle first spoke publicly about her relationship with Prince Harry in an interview with Vanity Fair in September.
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Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Prince Harry and Markle attended the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada in September 2017.
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Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Markle at the ELLE Women in Television Celebration on January 24, 2013 in West Hollywood, California.
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Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
The
actress attended Immaculate Heart High School, a private, all-girls
Catholic school in Los Angeles. She went by her first name, Rachel, at
the time before later using her middle name, Meghan.
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Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Markle was married to film producer Trevor Engelson for two years before they divorced in 2013.
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Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Markle at the Some Kind-a Gorgeous Style and Beauty Lounge at the Chateau Marmont on August 26, 2010 in Los Angeles, California
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Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Markle
is best known for her role as Rachel Zane in US hit TV series "Suits."
Her on-screen father Robert Zane is played by Wendell Pierce.
Hide Caption
5 of 9
Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Markle played Kirsten in 2015 crime movie "Anti-Social."
Hide Caption
6 of 9
Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Markle has made a name for herself as an actress and a philanthropist.
Hide Caption
7 of 9
Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Markle first spoke publicly about her relationship with Prince Harry in an interview with Vanity Fair in September.
Hide Caption
8 of 9
Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Prince Harry and Markle attended the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada in September 2017.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Markle at the ELLE Women in Television Celebration on January 24, 2013 in West Hollywood, California.
Hide Caption
1 of 9
Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
The
actress attended Immaculate Heart High School, a private, all-girls
Catholic school in Los Angeles. She went by her first name, Rachel, at
the time before later using her middle name, Meghan.
Hide Caption
2 of 9
Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Markle was married to film producer Trevor Engelson for two years before they divorced in 2013.
Hide Caption
3 of 9
Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Markle at the Some Kind-a Gorgeous Style and Beauty Lounge at the Chateau Marmont on August 26, 2010 in Los Angeles, California
Hide Caption
4 of 9
Photos: Who is Meghan Markle?
Markle
is best known for her role as Rachel Zane in US hit TV series "Suits."
Her on-screen father Robert Zane is played by Wendell Pierce.
Hide Caption
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Markle,
who has been previously married, spoke candidly about the media
attention that comes with dating a member of the British royal family,
saying it has its "challenges" before adding that she has her
"boyfriend's support."
Separately,
Prince Harry confirmed the couple were an item last November in a
Kensington Palace statement criticizing the "wave of abuse and
harassment" his then-girlfriend had faced from media outlets.
The
palace rarely puts out such statements, only doing so in recent years
to keep the paparazzi from getting too close to Prince George and
Princess Charlotte, the children of Harry's brother, Prince William.
The
brothers have been much more open about their personal lives than other
members of the royal family. In recent months, they spoke publicly
about their mother, Princess Diana, on the 20th anniversary of her death.
Prince
William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge drive from Buckingham
Palace in a decorated sports car on April 29, 2011 in London, England.
Monday's announcement sets the stage for the most anticipated royal wedding since William married Catherine Middleton in 2011 in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Harry's
marriage to Markle will not be the first time a British royal has wed a
divorcee. The British media has previously compared Markle to Wallis
Simpson, the divorced American whose relationship with King Edward VIII
led to his 1936 abdication.
However,
there is significantly less controversy around this union given that in
2005, Prince Charles, the heir apparent to the throne and a divorcee
himself, wed Camilla Parker-Bowles, who had also been married
previously.
Next spring was already
set to be a joyous occasion for the British royal family, with William
and Catherine recently announcing they are set to welcome their third child in April.
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