The Duke and Duchess of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍 married in 2018 and are now parents to two children

PHOTO: SAMIR HUSSEIN/WIREIMAGE

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s love story is one for the ages.

The Duke and Duchess of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍 first met in early 2016, although their romance wasn’t made public until that October.

While Prince Harry admitted that their relationship went from “0 to 60” over a relatively short period of time, he and Meghan feel that their romance only looked like a whirlwind from the outside.

“I don’t think that I would call it a whirlwind in terms of our relationship, obviously there have been layers attached to how public it has become after we had a good five, six months almost with just privacy, which was amazing,” Meghan said.

“I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly — it was a confirmation to me that all the stars were aligned,” Harry added. “This beautiful woman literally tripped and fell into my life. I fell into her life and the fact that she will be unbelievably good at the job part of it as well is obviously a huge relief to me because she’ll be able to deal with everything else that comes with it.”

Of course, the job has changed: Prince Harry and Meghan have since become parents, stepped back as working royals and moved stateside. And despite their high-profile lives, the pair are doing their best to maintain a sense of normalcy — even if their date nights occasionally involve a crowd of 1,500.

Since stepping back from their royal duties, the couple’s relationship with Prince Harry’s family has been strained. Harry isn’t on speaking terms with Prince William and he spent very little time with King Charles at the coronation in May 2023.

“The situation with his father and brother is still very difficult for him,” a source told PEOPLE in August 2023. “Meghan is always supportive of it though. She used to be negative about it. It seems she has kind of moved on now, [and is taking] a much softer approach about Harry’s family.”

The insider added that Prince Harry and Meghan remain “united” on family values and how to raise their kids. “They are both great parents,” the source said. “Their kids are their world.”

From their first blind date to their big move and beyond, here’s everything to know about Harry and Meghan’s relationship.

July 2016: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meetCHRIS JACKSON/GETTY

Prince Harry and Meghan said in their engagement interview that they first met on a blind date in early July 2016 after being set up by a mutual friend that they’ve kept anonymous.

“We met for a drink, and then I think very quickly into that we said, ‘Well what are we doing tomorrow? We should meet again.’ ” Meghan recalled. They then went on back-to-back dates in London in the following days.

However, Meghan later told Vanity Fair that she and Harry were dating quietly for about six months before it became public — which would point to their dating as early as late April or early May 2016, not July.

During episode one of Harry & Meghan, the couple revealed that they actually first connected on Instagram.

“I was scrolling through my feed and one of my friends and someone who was a friend had this video of the two of them, like a Snapchat,” Harry said. “I was like, ‘Who is that?’ ”

Meghan shared that the unnamed friend then told her that “Prince Haz” had asked about her, suggesting that she meet up with Harry. After scrolling through Harry’s profile, Meghan was impressed by the environmental shots on his page. The next day, they exchanged numbers.

Summer 2016: Meghan Markle joins Prince Harry in Botswana for the first time

Following their first two dates, Prince Harry invited Meghan to visit Botswana, a place close to his heart. He explained in their engagement interview, “We camped out with each other under the stars. She came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic. So then we were really by ourselves, which was crucial to me to make sure that we had a chance to know each other.”

Prince Harry later said it was during this trip that he knew Meghan was his “soulmate.”

The pair opened up further about the trip during their docuseries, sharing that their escape to Botswana came after they had only met twice.

“I was astonished that she said, ‘Yes,’ ” Harry recalled. “This woman, that I’ve really met twice, she’s coming to Botswana, and we’re gonna be living in a tent for five days!”

October 2016: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a last hurrah before their romance is public

Prince Harry and Meghan’s final outing before their relationship made headlines was to a Halloween party, she revealed in a November 2021 interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

“He came to see me in Toronto and our friends and his cousin, Eugenie, and her husband Jack, they came as well, and the four of us snuck out in Halloween costumes to have one fun night on the town before it was out in the world that we were a couple,” she said. “It was a post-apocalypse theme, so we had all of this very bizarre costuming on, and we were able to just sort of have one final, fun night out.”

Meghan and Prince Harry shared never-before-seen photos of the evening in their docuseries, noting that their pair had received a heads up that news of their romance was about to break, so they decided to “pull the pin on the fun grenade” and go all out for their last hurrah.

October 30, 2016: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reported to be datingMARK MARLOW/AFP

News broke of Prince Harry and Meghan’s romance just before Halloween in 2016. A friend of the royal confirmed to PEOPLE that he and Meghan had been dating for “a couple of months” at that time. Though neither had ever spoken publicly about their romance, Meghan shared several photos on her now-defunct Instagram since they’d met that appeared to hint at it, including several wearing the same beaded bracelets Harry wore.

A source told PEOPLE that Meghan had already met then-Prince Charles and that the relationship was more than a fling. “Harry is pretty serious about her, and she is pretty serious about him,” the source said. A friend of the couple added, “It’s great. They have a lot in common and I’m sure they will get on very well.”

November 8, 2016: Prince Harry confirms he and Meghan Markle are dating

In a rare move, Prince Harry confirmed to the press that he and Meghan were an item in a statement — and did so in hopes of protecting her and her loved ones from paparazzi and negative attention, as well as to keep them safe.

December 14, 2016: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are photographed together for the first time

After lying low for months, Meghan and Prince Harry were photographed together for the first time. The couple were spotted on a date to see the play The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Nighttime in London’s West End. The pair sported cozy beanies and walked down Piccadilly and Shaftesbury Avenue.

Early January 2017: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle travel to the Northern Lights

Prince Harry and Meghan rang in the New Year together, then jetted off to Norway to take in the Northern Lights. At the time, it was their first publicly-known vacation together. A source claimed the couple spent time whale-watching, watching sunsets in the snow and taking in the breathtaking sights of the Aurora Borealis.

May 6, 2017: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend their first public event togetherPHIL NOBLE – POOL/GETTY

Meghan was on hand to cheer for Harry at a charity polo match on May 6, 2017. Actor Eddie Redmayne, who attended Eton with Prince William, was also there to watch Harry, who was playing in support of his Sentebale charity.

May 20, 2017: Meghan Markle is Prince Harry’s date to Pippa Middleton’s wedding

Meghan did not attend Pippa Middleton’s wedding ceremony to James Matthews, but she joined Prince Harry for the private evening reception. After the morning ceremony, Harry traveled to London to pick Meghan up, about 90 minutes each way. Insiders noted that it was a sign that Harry and Meghan were getting serious.

August 4, 2017: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry vacation in Africa for her birthday

Prince Harry whisked Meghan away for a three-week trip to Africa just after her 36th birthday in August 2017, including some time in Botswana, where they camped out together following their first few dates. They concluded the trip with a stop near romantic Victoria Falls in Livingstone, Zambia, though details were scant as photos were strictly prohibited and lodging and safari staffers were reportedly sworn to secrecy about their trip. A source said, “It was a very, very private visit. They stayed at a beautiful lodge in Livingstone.”

September 5, 2017: Meghan Markle covers Vanity Fair and discusses her relationship with Prince Harry for the first time

Meghan was on the cover of Vanity Fair for the October 2017 issue and openly discussed her relationship with Harry for the first time. “I can tell you that at the end of the day I think it’s really simple. We’re two people who are really happy and in love,” she said.

“We were very quietly dating for about six months before it became news, and I was working during that whole time, and the only thing that changed was people’s perception. Nothing about me changed. I’m still the same person that I am, and I’ve never defined myself by my relationship,” she added.

Elsewhere in the piece, she explained, “We’re a couple. We’re in love. I’m sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time. This is for us. It’s part of what makes it so special, that it’s just ours. But we’re happy. Personally, I love a great love story.”

September 25-30, 2017: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hold hands at the Invictus GamesCHRIS JACKSON/GETTY

Meghan and Prince Harry beamed at one another as they walked hand-in-hand to a wheelchair tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto on Sept. 25, 2017.

Meghan joined Harry once more on Sept. 27, 2017, though she was seated with friend Markus Anderson several rows away from Harry. On Sept. 30, 2017, Meghan and Ragland attended the closing ceremonies in a luxury box, where Harry was spotted kissing her on the cheek.

October 19, 2017: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have tea with the Queen

On Oct. 19, 2017, Prince Harry and Meghan met the Queen for tea, according to reports. The meeting was reportedly about an hour long, and Meghan and Harry were escorted to the property in station wagons with blacked-out windows.

November 27, 2017: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are engagedPrince Harry and actress Meghan Markle announce their engagement. CHRIS JACKSON/CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY

Harry and Meghan announced their engagement on Nov. 27, 2017. Clarence House said in a statement at the time, “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 his 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.”

The couple gave an interview with the BBC the same day, where they said the proposal happened during a quiet night at home earlier that month when Meghan was roasting a chicken.

“It was just so sweet and natural and very romantic,” she recalled. “He got on one knee. As a matter of fact, I could barely let [him] finish proposing. I was like, ‘Can I say yes now?’ ”

At the time, the couple also expressed appreciation for the support they received from other royals, including Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Charles (now known as King Charles III). Meghan said Middleton in particular had been “wonderful,” with Harry saying that William was a “fantastic” source of support; they also expressed gratitude to Harry’s grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, for keeping the romance a secret.

Harry’s engagement ring for Meghan was comprised of a center diamond ethically sourced from Botswana, where they fell in love, with two outer diamonds from his late mother Princess Diana’s collection. The couple lived together in Nottingham Cottage following their engagement.

December 1, 2017: Meghan Markle joins Prince Harry for first royal engagement togetherKARWAI TANG/WIREIMAGE

After their engagement, Meghan joined Prince Harry for a work engagement, their first royal undertaking together. The couple traveled to Nottingham, about 125 miles north of London, where they greeted fans in the town center. One onlooker asked Harry in a cheeky video, “How does it feel being a ginger with Meghan?” Harry laughed and replied, “It’s great, isn’t it?”

December 24-25, 2017: Meghan Markle spends Christmas at Sandringham with the royal familyCHRIS JACKSON/GETTY

Breaking royal tradition, Meghan joined Prince Harry and the royal family for Christmas at Sandringham, and even partook in a royal gift exchange (her gag gift for Prince William was reportedly a hit). She also joined the family for lunch on Christmas Eve and a church service at Sandringham’s St. Mary Magdalene Church. The royals then gathered to watch the Queen’s annual televised address.

March 7, 2018: Meghan Markle is baptized into the Church of England

About two months before her royal wedding to Prince Harry, Meghan was baptized into the Church of England in a secret ceremony by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Royal Chapel at St. James’s Palace in London. She was confirmed into the church immediately afterward; Harry, King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla were reportedly on hand to support her.

May 16, 2018: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a private wedding ceremony at home

Meghan revealed in her and Prince Harry’s sitdown with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 that they had a private wedding ceremony in their backyard three days before their official royal wedding.

“Three days before our wedding, we got married — no one knows that — but we called the Archbishop and said, ‘This thing, this spectacle is for the world, but we want our union between us,’ ” Meghan said. “So the vows that we have framed in our room are just the two of us in our backyard with the Archbishop of Canterbury.”

The Archbishop later stated that the ceremony was not legally binding and that their actual royal wedding was when the marriage became official.

May 19, 2018: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marry in a royal weddingBEN STANSALL – WPA POOL/GETTY

Prince Harry and Meghan tied the knot on May 19, 2018, at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, officially becoming the Duke and Duchess of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍. King Charles escorted Meghan down the aisle to the operatic “Eternal Source of the Light Divine.” Meghan later remarked of the song, “[It] was actually Harry’s choice entirely and I think a really beautiful piece. I can retrace that entire walk down the aisle listening to it. It really is so special for us, and I think it’s one of those things we’ll treasure forever.” After Meghan finally made her way to Harry at the alter, the prince was seen wiping away tears.

The couple followed the church service with a wedding luncheon, complete with 600 guests.

Meghan later told Winfrey of the experience, “I’ve thought about this a lot because it was like having an out of body experience I was very present for. That’s the only way I can describe it because the night before I slept through the night entirely, which in and of itself is a bit of a miracle. And then woke up and started listening to that song ‘Going to the Chapel.’ And just tried to make it fun and light and remind ourselves that this was our day — but I think we were both really aware, even in advance of that just, this wasn’t our day. This was the day that was planned for the world.”

The couple were able to let loose a bit more at their private evening wedding reception at Frogmore House, where Idris Elba served as their DJ, George Clooney served drinks to guests and Serena Williams enjoyed some beer pong. Harry and Meghan reportedly gave sweet, funny speeches thanking their guests for attending.

May 22, 2018: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle perform their first royal engagement as a married coupleCHRIS JACKSON/CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY

Prince Harry and Meghan got right back to work three days after their royal wedding. On May 22, 2018, the couple attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace in honor of King Charles’ 70th birthday (even though his birthday is actually in November).

Kensington Palace spokesman Jason Knauf confirmed at the time, “The couple will be going on honeymoon, but not straightaway. They will have their first engagement as a married couple in the week after the wedding.”

October 15, 2018: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle confirm her first pregnancyPOOL/SAMIR HUSSEIN/WIREIMAGE

On Oct. 15, 2018, Kensington Palace confirmed that Prince Harry and Meghan were expecting their first child.

“Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍 are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍 is expecting a 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 in the Spring of 2019,” Kensington Palace said in a statement at the time. “Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public.”

In Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand revealed that Harry and Meghan told the family the happy news at Princess Eugenie’s wedding, noting, “It did not go down particularly well with Eugenie, who, a source said, told friends she felt the couple should have waited to share the news.”

The news broke while the Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍es were on their first royal tour of Australia and New Zealand.

November 7, 2018: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle split from Prince William and Kate MiddletonPAUL GROVER- WPA POOL/GETTY

In November 2018, it was reported that Prince Harry and Meghan would split from their “joint court” with Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Kensington Palace office. At the time, royal author Sally Bedell Smith explained to PEOPLE, “The arrival of Meghan has changed the dynamic of the relationship in a fairly significant way. It is inevitable and practical because it gives Harry and Meghan some freedom to build up their own collection of interests and charities. Meghan has very strong views on what she is interested in and that may be what Harry shares, but not what William and Kate share.”

December 24-25, 2018: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrate Christmas with the royalsPrince. MARK CUTHBERT/UK PRESS

Amid rumors of a feud between Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan attended Christmas services at Sandringham with the Cambridges and the rest of the royal family, at least somewhat dispelling rift rumors.

April 2019: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle move to Frogmore cottageHANDOUT/CHRIS JACKSON/INVICTUS GAMES FOUNDATION

On March 14, 2019, Kensington Palace announced that Prince Harry and Meghan had officially separated their offices and split their household from Prince William and Kate Middleton’s. Harry and Meghan moved to Frogmore Cottage that April ahead of the birth of their first child, and their offices moved from Kensington Palace to Buckingham Palace.

A source told PEOPLE ahead of the move, “They’ll enjoy it much more in Windsor. They feel claustrophobic in their place in Kensington Palace.”

May 6, 2019: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcome their first 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢STEVE PARSONS/AFP

Meghan and Prince Harry welcomed son Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor on May 6, 2019. The 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 boy reportedly weighed 7 lbs., 3 oz. The Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍es said in a statement at the time, “The Duchess and 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 are both healthy and well, and the couple thank members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives.”

At the time, a beaming Harry told the press they were still considering names.

“I’m very excited to announce that Meghan and myself had a 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 boy early this morning, a very healthy boy,” he said. “Mother and 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 are doing incredibly well.”

“It’s been the most amazing experience I could ever possibly imagine,” Harry added. “How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. But we’re both absolutely thrilled and so grateful to all the love and support from everybody out there. It’s been amazing, so we just wanted to share this with everybody.”

May 8, 2019: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle debut 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 ArchieDOMINIC LIPINSKI – WPA POOL/GETTY

Prince Harry and Meghan’s son Archie made his debut on May 8, 2019. During a photo call with the press at Windsor Castle, Meghan said of being a new mom, “It’s magic. It’s pretty amazing. I have the best two guys in the world, so I’m really happy.” She added that Archie has “the sweetest temperament. He’s really calm.”

A beaming Harry joked, “I don’t know where he gets that from!”

Meghan added of Archie, “He’s just been a dream. It’s been a special couple of days.”

The Duke said of becoming a dad, “It’s great. Parenting is amazing. It’s only been two and a half days, but we’re just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy.”

May 19, 2019: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle share unseen wedding photos for their first anniversary

Prince Harry and Meghan shared sweet, never-before-seen photos from their royal wedding on their @Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍Royal Instagram account to mark their first anniversary. The snapshots included many of the couple together, as well as moving moments with Meghan and her mother, Doria Ragland, and King Charles escorting Meghan down the aisle. The montage was set to “This Little Light of Mine,” which was performed during their wedding ceremony recessional.

The couple celebrated their first year as husband and wife with a quiet lunch with Ragland, who had stayed with the couple after Archie’s birth. Prince Harry reportedly gifted Meghan a Lorraine Schwartz eternity ring. A source told PEOPLE, “They love to do their own take on traditional wedding gifts. The first anniversary was paper, and Meghan wrote out the wedding speech and had it framed for him.”

July 6, 2019: Archie is christened in a secret ceremony

Archie was baptized in a secret ceremony on July 6, 2019, at Queen Elizabeth’s private chapel at Windsor Castle. About 25 close family and friends, including King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla, Ragland and Kate Middleton, were in attendance. A source told PEOPLE that the Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍es “wanted an intimate, peaceful setting in a place with such a special connection to Her Majesty.”

September 15, 2019: Meghan Markle has a sweet celebration for Prince Harry’s birthdaySAMIR HUSSEIN/WIREIMAGE

To mark Harry’s 35th birthday, Meghan recreated their 2016 trip to Botswana — in their own backyard. A source later told PEOPLE, “Last year, for Harry’s birthday, Meghan recreated their Botswana camping adventures in their backyard. It’s a place that means so much to them — and to Harry in particular — so Meghan wanted to bring that happy place to him on his day so she set up a tent, got sleeping bags, cooked dinner and recreated Botswana where they fell in love.”

October 18, 2019: Meghan Markle sues Associated Newspapers for publishing parts of a letter she wrote to her father

Meghan filed a lawsuit against Associated Newspapers for printing portions of a “private and confidential letter” she wrote to her father, Thomas Markle, in The Mail on Sunday. Meghan sent the letter in August 2018 after Thomas missed her royal wedding to Prince Harry and spoke to tabloid media; legal documents claim that Meghan expressed “her intimate thoughts and feelings about her father’s health and her relationship with him at that time” in the handwritten note.

Prince Harry said in a statement, “Unfortunately, my wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences – a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son.” He added that he and Meghan “continued to put on a brave face — as so many of you can relate to — I cannot begin to describe how painful it has been.”

Meghan would go on to win her lawsuit, and the Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍es would eventually completely cut ties with several major U.K. tabloids.

On the same day the lawsuit was announced, a clip from Meghan and Harry’s ITV documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey was released, in which Meghan discussed her struggles as a new mom in the public eye.

“Any woman, especially when they’re pregnant, you’re really vulnerable, and so that was made really challenging. And then when you have a newborn, you know. And especially as a woman, it’s a lot,” she told host Tom Bradby. “So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed. It’s um … yeah. I guess, also thank you for asking because not many people have asked if I’m okay, but it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.”

Meghan would later say on her Archetypes podcast that during their tour of Africa, there was a fire in the room where Archie was supposed to be sleeping, but he was not in the room at the time of the incident. She said she was “in tears” and “shaken” by the incident, but was not permitted to speak of it publicly at the time and wasn’t allowed to cancel the further royal engagements she and Harry had scheduled.

October 20, 2019: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announce they will take “family time off“SAMIR HUSSEIN/WIREIMAGE

Days after her lawsuit against Associated Newspapers was announced, Meghan and Prince Harry announced they’d take six weeks off from royal duties to focus on their family. “The duke and duchess have a full schedule of engagements and commitments until mid-November, after which they will be taking some much-needed family time,” a royal source confirmed to PEOPLE.

November 13, 2019: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce they’re celebrating the holidays with her mom

Following the announcement that they were taking time off to focus on their family, Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Harry and Meghan would spend the holidays with Meghan’s mother.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍 are looking forward to extended family time towards the end of this month,” the Palace said in a statement. “Having spent the last two Christmases at Sandringham, Their Royal Highnesses will spend the holiday this year, as a new family, with the Duchess’ mother Doria Ragland. This decision is in line with precedent set previously by other members of the Royal Family, and has the support of Her Majesty The Queen.”

January 2020: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce they are stepping down as senior royalsMeghan Markle and Prince Harry. DANIEL LEAL/AFP

On Jan. 8, 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan, who had been staying in Canada at the time, shocked the world when they announced they were stepping down as senior royals.

“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” the Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍es said in a statement on Instagram. “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.

Days later, Harry, King Charles and Prince William had a “Sandringham Summit” to discuss the Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍es’ royal future. After the 90-minute discussion, Queen Elizabeth II said in a statement, “Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family. My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.”

March 2020: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend their final royal engagementsPAUL EDWARDS – WPA POOL/GETTY

Prince Harry and Meghan returned to the U.K. for their final royal engagements in early March 2020. On March 5, 2020, they attended the Endeavor Fund Awards in London, going viral for a stunning photo of a “movie star moment” of the pair laughing in the rain.

On March 9, the couple attended a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, briefly reuniting with Prince William and Kate Middleton. Their final day as senior royals was March 31, 2020. By February 2021, the Palace confirmed that Harry and Meghan would no longer work on behalf of the royal family.

April 6, 2020: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce the launch of Archewell

Just a week after formally leaving their roles as senior royals, Prince Harry and Meghan announced the name of their new charitable foundation: Archewell.

May 6, 2020: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrate Archie’s first birthdaySAVE WITH STORIES INSTAGRAM

Archie’s first birthday celebration was a quiet one at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A source told PEOPLE, “They are celebrating as a family focused on Archie and being together. They’ll have a smash cake and Zooms with family and friends. It’s been beautiful weather, so perhaps a family stroll with the dogs.”

May 19, 2020: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrate their second wedding anniversary

Prince Harry and Meghan’s second wedding anniversary on May 19, 2020, was at the peak of the pandemic. As such, the two celebrated with “a quiet day together” at home in Los Angeles. It was their first wedding anniversary as parents.

A source told PEOPLE of their second-anniversary gifts, “This year, they both gave each other gifts based on ‘cotton.’ Undoubtedly, it was a very creative and romantic gesture as all their gifts are to one another.”

July 2020: Meghan Markle suffers a miscarriage; Couple moves to Montecito

July 2020 was a tumultuous time for Prince Harry and Meghan. In a November 2020 op-ed for The New York Times, Meghan revealed that they suffered a pregnancy loss that July.

“Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few,” she wrote, adding that she and Harry comforted one another while she was hospitalized.

She described the moment, during which she was tending to son Archie, in heartbreaking detail: “After changing his diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right,” she wrote. “I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.”

In happier news, in August 2020, a rep for the Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍es confirmed that the couple moved into their own mansion in the Santa Barbara area that July.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍 moved into their family home in July of this year,” their rep told PEOPLE. “They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbors, as well as for them as a family.”

Before purchasing their $14 million Montecito property, they stayed in one of Tyler Perry’s mansions — which Meghan would later admit resulted from a phone conversation with the movie mogul, whom she had never met in person.

September 2, 2020: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce their Netflix dealPrince Harry and Meghan Markle. FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA/PA IMAGES

On Sept. 2, 2020, Meghan and Prince Harry announced that they’d be producing projects for Netflix.

“Our lives, both independent of each other, and as a couple have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience and the need for connection,” they said in a statement at the time. “Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope.”

They added, “As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens. We are pleased to work with Ted and the team at Netflix whose unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action.”

February 14, 2021: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce they’re expecting a second 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢

Prince Harry and Meghan celebrated Valentine’s Day with exciting news: Meghan was pregnant with their second child. They posted a black-and-white photo of Meghan lying down in the grass with her head in Harry’s lap, cradling a visible 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 bump.

A rep for the couple confirmed to PEOPLE, “We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍 are overjoyed to be expecting their second child.”

In their interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired a month later, the couple revealed that they were expecting a 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 girl.

March 8, 2021: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sit down for an interview with Oprah WinfreyPrince Harry, Meghan Markle and Oprah Winfrey. JOE PUGLIESE/HARPO PRODUCTIONS

In a conversation with Oprah Winfrey that aired on March 8, 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan dropped numerous bombshells, including revelations about Meghan’s struggles with her mental health and a perceived lack of support from “The Firm,” as well as being subjected to racism.

One incident Meghan addressed was the rumor that she made Kate Middleton cry in an argument over Princess Charlotte’s flower girl dress, claiming that it was actually Kate who made her cry, but adding that Kate apologized and was “a good person.”

Meghan said her biggest regret was believing the royal family would protect her, explaining, “That was really hard to reconcile because it was only once we were married and everything started to really worsen that I came to understand that not only was I not being protected, but that they were willing to lie to protect other members of the family. They weren’t willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband.”

Meghan also said that while the public was told that she and Harry didn’t want their children to have royal titles, that that was a lie — they did want them so that their children could have security. She and Harry also claimed that there were “concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie’s] skin might be when he was born and what that would look like.” Though they didn’t name names at the time as to who made the racist remarks, they did clarify that it was neither Queen Elizabeth II nor Prince Philip.

May 19, 2021: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrate their third wedding anniversary by giving backJOHN LAMPARSKI/GETTY

Prince Harry and Meghan marked their third wedding anniversary on May 19, 2021, with an announcement that they were opening a Community Relief Center in Mumbai, India, as part of their Archewell partnership with World Central Kitchen.

May 20, 2021: Prince Harry says he fears not being able to protect Meghan Markle from the same paparazzi and media that hounded Princess Diana

In the Apple TV+ series The Me You Can’t See, Prince Harry opened up to Oprah Winfrey once more about his struggle to protect Meghan from the same media and paparazzi that relentlessly chased his late mother, Princess Diana. Noting that flashbulbs and hordes of photographers can be triggering for him, he said, “I didn’t want history to repeat itself.”

“We get followed. Photographed, chased, harassed. The clicking of cameras and the flashes of the cameras makes my blood boil. It makes me angry and takes me back to what happened to my mom and what I experienced as a kid,” Harry said in the docuseries. “Not just traditional media, but also social media platforms as well. I felt completely helpless.”

June 4, 2021: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcome daughter LilibetPrince Harry and Meghan Markle. DIA DIPASUPIL/GETTY

Prince Harry and Meghan welcomed their 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 girl, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten Windsor, on June 4, 2021, a rep for the couple announced in a statement.

“Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, Calif. She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home,” the statement read. “Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales.”

April 16-17, 2022: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Invictus GamesCHRIS JACKSON/GETTY

Prince Harry and Meghan attended the Invictus Games at the Hague, the Netherlands, beginning with the formal opening ceremonies on April 16, 2022, where the pair shared a rare public kiss.

June 2022: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle return to the U.K. for the Queen’s Platinum JubileeMeghan Markle and Prince Harry. MATT DUNHAM – WPA POOL/GETTY

Prince Harry and Meghan jetted across the pond to honor the Queen at her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, marking the first time in two years that they’d made a joint appearance in the U.K. At the Trooping of the Colour on June 2, 2022, Meghan was photographed playfully shushing some of the royal children. However, they weren’t on the balcony with the rest of the senior royals, and they missed the final day of celebrations on Sunday, June 5, as well as the Platinum Party on Saturday, June 4, when they celebrated daughter Lilibet’s first birthday privately with a backyard picnic at their Frogmore Cottage home. They reportedly introduced Lili to the Queen during their trip, but the couple didn’t publicly interact with senior members of the royal family.

“They aren’t part of the [working] royal family anymore, and that’s a decision they have taken — but maybe [the public] hasn’t quite accepted that yet,” a source close to the couple told PEOPLE. “Yes, they were low-key. They paid their respects and went home.”

September 2022: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral — and briefly reunite with Prince William and Kate MiddletonCHRIS JACKSON/GETTY

Prince Harry and Meghan were already in the U.K. for the WellChild Awards in London when Queen Elizabeth II died at her Balmoral home at age 96 on Sept. 8, 2022. Harry jetted to Scotland without Meghan at the time, arriving shortly after the news of the monarch’s death became public.

On Sept. 10, Harry and Meghan had a surprise public reunion with Kate Middleton and Prince William when they all greeted well-wishers at Windsor Castle. According to Kensington Palace, it was William’s idea, with a source noting that it “was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family.”

“It’s such an extraordinary historical moment and also a deeply personal one for the family that you’d hope and think that all members of the family would unite and support [the King] especially,” the source added. “And perhaps some of those wounds can be healed in the process.”

December 8, 2022: Harry and Meghan Vol. I drops on NetflixMeghan Markle and Prince Harry. COURTESY NETFLIX

Prince Harry and Meghan’s long-awaited Netflix docuseries, Harry and Meghan, dropped its first three episodes on Dec. 8, 2022. The pair shared an inside look at their romance, family and life as royals in the series.

The opening moments also saw the couple getting emotional as they discussed their decision to step back from royal life in early 2020.

“I just really want to get to the other side of all of this,” said Meghan, adding, “I don’t know what to say anymore,” before starting to cry.

“Unfortunately in not standing for something, they are destroying us,” the Duchess of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍 also added, apparently referencing the royal family.

January 2023: Prince Harry writes about meeting Meghan Markle

Prince Harry revealed details on how he first met Meghan in his memoir, Spare. He explained that he was impressed by a photo of her online and went on to share that Meghan messaged him first on Instagram.

“Eventually, we exchanged phone numbers, and mitigated the conversation over to text, going late into the night,” Harry wrote, adding that he was “texting like a teenager” through the next day.

The Duke of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍 also noted that it was “uncanny,” “surreal” and “bizarre” that this conversation began on July 1, 2016, what would have been his mother’s fifty-fifth birthday.

March 1, 2023: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle told “to vacate” their U.K. home

Prince Harry and Meghan will no longer have a royal residence in England.

“We can confirm The Duke and Duchess of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍 have been requested to vacate their residence at Frogmore Cottage,” a spokesperson for the couple’s Archewell Foundation told PEOPLE.

According to The Sun, King Charles III plans to move his brother Prince Andrew to the Windsor residence.

March 3, 2023: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle host Lilibet’s christening ceremony

Lili was christened by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor, during an intimate ceremony at Prince Harry and Meghan’s home in Montecito.

An insider told PEOPLE that there were roughly 30 guests present, including Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, Lilibet’s godfather, Tyler Perry, and an unnamed godmother.

Perry flew in from Atlanta with a 10-person gospel choir that sang “Oh Happy Day” and “This Little Light of Mine” at the special event.

April 24, 2023: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle share a kiss cam moment at a Los Angeles Lakers gamePrince Harry and Meghan Markle watch the L.A. Lakers. ALLEN BEREZOVSKY/GETTY IMAGES

While attending a Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies playoff game, the kiss cam landed on Prince Harry and Meghan. The couple didn’t smooch for the camera, but they did smile sweetly at one another.

May 16, 2023: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” in New York City

After leaving the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards, Prince Harry and Meghan were involved in a car chase with “a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi,” according to their spokesperson.

The spokesperson called the incident “near catastrophic” and said it lasted “over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.”

August 2, 2023: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle step out for dinner in Montecito

The couple enjoyed dinner at Tre Lune — an Italian restaurant and celebrity hotspot in Montecito, California.

A source told PEOPLE that the couple have “a lot of security,” when they leave the house, which is a rare occurrence. Several Montecito residents confirmed that the couple are friendly and “talk to everyone” when they’re out and about.

September 2023: Meghan Markle joins Prince Harry at the Invictus Games

Meghan and Prince Harry traveled to Germany to attend the Invictus Games, the adaptive sports competition founded by Prince Harry in 2014 for injured, sick and wounded service personnel and veterans.

On Sept. 12, Meghan made her debut at the event when she gave a speech at the Family & Friends party. She told attendees that she’s “really proud to be part of this Invictus family” and said she and Harry “can’t wait” to bring Archie and Lilibet “so they can experience just how awesome this is.”

Later in the week, Meghan helped celebrate Prince Harry’s 39th birthday as she, along with competitors and spectators at a volleyball game between Poland and Germany, sang “Happy Birthday” to the royal.

January 23, 2024: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Bob Marley: One Love premiere

The couple made a surprise appearance in Jamaica for the Bob Marley: One Love movie premiere. Meghan dazzled in a spaghetti strap top and a Carolina Herrera skirt, while Prince Harry looked effortlessly handsome in a blue suit sans tie.

February 16, 2024: Meghan Markle films Prince Harry going down skeleton track in Whistler

The following month, Meghan and Harry spent time in Whistler, Canada, for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025’s One Year to Go celebrations. When the couple visited the Whistler Sliding Center, Meghan was on the sidelines with her phone, filming Harry as he went down the skeleton track. In a video shared on Instagram by Elizabeth Holmes, Meghan can be seen cheering him on.

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